Houston's AstroWorld

As some may or may not know, I grew up outside Houston in a small town (well, small for Texas) called Baytown. I was there from the age of 9 months to the age of 16. Some of my fondest memories are going to the Six Flags theme park called AstroWorld. I have this vivid memory of riding the wooden roller coaster called Texas Cyclone for the first time. I was probably about 9 or 10. I was riding with my then brother-in-law. I crouched my head underneath the cart and screamed the entire time. I have many similar type memories of having gone there over the years.

We moved back to Ohio in September of 1993. As of yet, I still have not returned to a visit to Texas. I long to do that, but it just hasn't been in the cards lately.

I am hoping to get the time off from work to go back to Ohio so I can visit my family. One of my plans is to take my nephews to Cedar Point. It's not a Six Flags theme park, but it's supposedly one of the best in the world for roller coasters. I was searching for flights today and it got me thinking about AstroWorld. So I decided to look it up on the internet just to rehash some childhood memories. Much to my dismay, I came across the official web site and discovered that it closed at the end of the 2005 season. I guess the property became too valuable and the upkeep and parking issues were becoming too much of a hassle.

This came as a total shock to me. I thought for certain AstroWorld would be there for as long as I would be around. And if and when I were ever to get back to Texas, my plan was to go visit there for old time's sake. I guess that is not going to happen.

Perhaps it is true that you can't revisit the past. I don't know. I wish there was a definitive moral to this story. Maybe the moral is don't put off visiting friends, family, and even places for too long because you never know when they will no longer be there for you to visit.

Karas: The Prophecy

When it comes to DVDs, I can be a bit of an impulse buyer. I never rent them. I always buy them. I have probably about 500 DVDs, if not more. I was in Wal Mart a couple weeks ago buying stuff and when I go there I always check out the DVD section. In their new release end cap, they had this anime movie called Karas: The Prophecy. In all honesty, what sold me on the DVD was a little blurb of a review from Anime Insider on the back cover. What were those three little words? "Like Batman Begins..."

There was something about the cover of the DVD that caught my attention. Despite the screen name that I often use to post online (Cowboy Bebop), I am generally not that big of an anime fan. Particularly when you're dealing with kid stuff like Pokemon and Digimon. With that said, I do enjoy movies and shows like Akira and Cowboy Bebop.

I finally got around to watching, what is apparently the first of however many they are making. The story is a little confusing at first. Basically, it's a spirit and demon world that often happens unseen and unknown to the humans that are constantly battling each other. Karas is influenced by Yurine who guides and teaches him. Karas is similar to an idea or warrior that is passed on from one warrior to the next. It is actually a metaphysical tranformation that takes place as the "person" becomes Karas. Karas is battling Eko, a former Karas, who is attempting to take control over the city of Tokyo. This is very much similar to the story of Batman Begins in which Ra's al Ghul and the League of Shadows is trying to destroy Gotham City in order for it to rebuild.

I must admit that I felt a little dumb, because the story it a bit convoluted and hard to follow at times. The writers have constructed the story in a way that a lot of what is going on is understood. Perhaps it would be easier for Japanese viewers to follow at first. I had to watch it twice in order to gain a better understanding of it.

What blew me away the most about this movie was the animation. It is a hybrid of computer and traditional animation. It is some of the absolute best animation I've ever seen in my life. I love animation and animated movies. It's more impressive than the disastrous Final Fantasy film and the excellent Toy Story.

The thing that is most impressive is how the creators were able to beautifully blend computer and traditional, hand-drawn animation. Yes, if you know what the two look like, you can tell the difference. What is impressive is how both are so beautifully drawn and that the combination of the two works so damn well. They're able to get some 3D cinematic shots using computer animation with the traditional that they would only be able to get with computer animation. And the fight sequences are absolutely amazing. It's almost impossible to take your eyes off the screen. It's a movie that just keeps popping with imagery that is unbelievably beautiful. This is definitely a movie to see and own.

Mission Impossible III

I saw Mission Impossible III today. It's Tom Cruise's first film since all the hoopla last year around the release of War of the Worlds. I never did get around to seeing War of the Worlds, mostly due to the negative word of mouth about it.

Let me start off by saying that it was a decent flick. It was entertaining enough, but I wish it had been a little more entertaining. Cruise, along with his production partner Paula Wagner, hired Alias and Lost creator, J.J. Abrams to direct this latest entry in to the series. Philip Seymour Hoffman has the fun task of playing the bad guy.

I won't give anything away. But for me there are movies I have to own, movies I don't care to own, and then movies that I don't care to see or never want to see again. This movie falls in to the category of a movie I don't care to own. It's worth a viewing at the cineplex or a rental, but it's not a movie that will get better with repeat viewings.

The movie lacked a sense of urgency when Cruise's character Ethan Hunt gets in to a bind. I never felt as though he wasn't going to accomplish the task at hand. The big reveal at the end was not really a big surprise either. I just wish the movie had more kinesthetic energy behind it. Don't get me wrong. There was energy behind the telling of this, but I just never felt as though I was pulled in for the ride.

If you're going to make a popcorn flick, such as this, you really have to bring the audience along for the ride. And I felt as though Abrams was going through the motions of an action film. At least it was nice to see Keri Russell and Ving Rhames.