Wall•E

Pixar's latest accomplishment (I believe that's what they call them now, rather than 'films') stars a robot who at least 96% of women instantly want to cuddle. Children love him. Hell, even I wanna cuddle him. It's something in those mechanical, lifeless eyes...just takes me away...

Life must be pretty great for that lovable little robot who organizes the trash we dropped on our way out, right? Nah. Lonely fella. Course, he's got his little cockroach buddy to keep him company, but Wall•E is a film buff. Cockroaches aren't into that stuff.

So one day, an enormous space ship lands on top of Wall•E, and out pops EVE. Then, a lot of stuff happens. (Nobody likes spoilers.)

Pixar has once again nailed it, providing top-notch animation, fantastically lovable characters, a fascinating story, a great message, and a quirkiness that only they can do right.

One of the most interesting things about Wall•E is the way Pixar made it look filmed. Employing unique 'camera' angles and zooms makes the movie feel less animated, giving it more depth. Often times the way it is 'filmed' greatly adds to the humor or the emotion of the shot.

The attention to detail Pixar displays never ceases to amaze me, and never more so than in Wall•E. The way that they can make things look more realistic than in real life is enough of a reason to see this movie. Half of the movie is completely brown and barren, while the other half of the movie is bright and colorful, and Pixar manages to make them both look beautiful. This movie also marks the first time Pixar has used footage of real people.

The technology in Wall•E is a breath of fresh air, and fun to watch too. Developed by the same man who designed the iPod, EVE is an example of where tech should be headed. Most of the robots display an Apple-esque simplicity, and Wall•E himself comes factory-equipped with a few Mac sound-bytes that put a smile on my face. I also loved Buy N Large's SEGA Genesis-inspired jingle. 

Although the movie was inspiring, funny, beautiful, and intelligent, I have to admit that I felt a little bit less for this movie than I have for previous Pixar accomplishments. And I can't quite put my finger on the reason for this. Although Wall•E is certainly their most expansive story yet, somehow it just didn't seem as full as "Toy Story," or "Finding Nemo."

While the movie may seem dark, Wall•E is a story of hope above all else. Hope that maybe we won't turn out like that. Hope that we can still redeem ourselves if we do. Wall•E tells us that ultimately, history does indeed repeat itself. But it also suggests that maybe that's not such a bad thing.

6/7

LG enV 2 for Verizon

The LG enV for Verizon was pretty large. Thankfully, LG slimmed it up and released it as the enV 2. Much more aesthetically pleasing than its older brother, the enV 2 basically took everything the original had, and packed it into a smaller, slimmer case.

When closed, the phone displays the normal numeric buttons, OK, up and down, send, end, and clear, as well as a music button. The outer screen is not the best quality, but it works. The enV 2 allows one to read texts, as well as reply, all without even opening the phone. This is a feature that I find very useful. Holding the phone, I can't bring myself to say that it feels good in my hand. It's a bit blocky, but it is thin.

A sideways clamshell phone, the enV 2 opens on the right side to reveal a full QWERTY keyboard, two speakers, and a larger screen. For reasons unknown, I find myself wishing that the phone would open on the left side, even though, or perhaps because, I'm right handed. The buttons on the QWERTY keypad are somewhat small, but I've yet to find a phone with large QWERTY buttons anyway. The 320x240 pixel QVGA screen is a decent size and looks moderately sharp. 

The speakers are loud. That's not to say that they're good, however. At any volume, the speakers produce too much treble. At the loudest volume, music becomes a crackly, tinny mess, unless the song is particularly empty. But if you're listening to a song where something is actually going on, the speakers are not up to par. The only thing these speakers actually excel at is speakerphone, which is abnormally and awesomely loud.

The camera is a standard 2.0 megapixel camera, taking decent quality pictures and video. There's a useful option in the video menu to record 30 second videos to send to people, instead of trial and error testing how long a video can be to be able to be sent. Nothing particularly new here.

As far as features go, this phone comes with VZ Navigator. However, it has to be purchased. They were still nice enough to give you the icon in your menu, though. The enV 2 also comes with Mobile IM, which also costs money. Another nifty menu icon, though! I've heard that call quality on this phone is especially good, but seriously, the phone doesn't sound any different than any other phone I've used. Yeah, it's louder than most, but that doesn't make it more decipherable. The built-in display themes are essentially all the same, with minor texture/color changes for each one.

If it came down to it, I think I could live with this phone. That's not exactly a compliment, but I've gotta admit, there is a certain sexiness in a closed black enV 2 with the backlight keyboard. The QWERTY keypad does nothing for me. The speakers are lacking not in volume, but quality. Overall, I don't think this phone offers anything unique to the market except its form-factor.

4/7

Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace by The Offspring

Screeeeeeeeech...I turn my head in a futile attempt to see past the walls of my room, thinking I had just heard someone lock up their brakes. After a few moments I calm down, realizing that I had just put on the new Offspring album, Rise and Fall, Rage and Grace. So Dexter's voice sounds a bit like a car crash. That doesn't necessarily make the music bad. And it's never been more true than on their latest album, because it seems The Offspring took their time and made something varied, exciting, and catchy, instead of putting out a few good songs with filler all around 'em for once. 

It's clear after listening to this record that The Offspring has grown up a bit. Better late than never, right? The Offspring has always been one of those bands that make fun, catchy songs that are mostly devoid of meaning or depth. That's why it was surprising and refreshing to hear some of the songs on this new album. They actually feel new; they feel like they've had time put into them; they sound different! Channeling greats like Bad Religion, The Living End, Green Day, and Suicidal Tendencies, this album runs amok with your ears. The Offspring's signature sound is present throughout the album with bigger, crashing drums (perhaps thanks to Atom Willard splitting for Angels and Airwaves...good riddance.), slower songs (even a bit 'o piano), and vocal melodies that have actually had time spent on them. Apparently "Hammerhead" is the first single, though the song I heard on the radio a few days ago was "You're Gonna Go Far, Kid," which is as good an Offspring song as any. All in all, this album feels abnormally inspired for a band that seems to usually record and release an album in a few weeks. It almost surprises me to say that the majority of the songs on this album sound noticeably different, and are each catchy and good in their own right. The songs seem to have more meaning than previous efforts, and it's reflected in their quality. There are, at most, 2 or 3 throwaway songs. Enjoyable album.

5/7

Get Smart

A (slightly) smarter-man's Austin Powers, Get Smart finds Steve Carell, Anne Hathaway, and Dywane Johnson (who has, by this point, successfully shed the moniker "The Rock" (though what good that will do only time will tell)), all agents of an assumedly-defunct government spy agency, CONTROL, thwarting the plans of an evil terrorist organization called KAOS, who are hellbent on having some nuclear fun-time.

Carell portrays a smarter, more competent version of Smart than Don Adams. Carell may have molded the character a little bit more to his tastes, but he's still noticeably cut from the same thread as the old Maxwell Smart. The humor in this movie often relies on Carell-isms, his yell, funny noises, and goofy awkwardness on full display. And about half the time, it almost works. Even so, toward the last half-hour of the movie, the charm begins to fade, and it starts to feel a bit too long.

Anne Hathaway surprised me by being much better in her role as Agent 99 than I expected. She did a respectable job acting older than she seemed to be, and she showed a good amount of restraint in her character, not over-acting, but excelling in her minor emotions and expressions, acting...I don't know, realistically?

The plot isn't excessively original or engaging, culminating in the attempted assassination of the president (who is coincidentally dim and easily-amused), which has been used many times before, and will be again. This movie also uses many of the same gags that previous spy movies have employed, like pee jokes (almost identical to the one in Austin Powers) and shoe phones.

This movie has some funny parts, some good jokes, some decent action sequences. Overall, it's one more brick in the wall of Spy-Comedy movies, and I can't really say that it sticks out further than the others. I can say that I cracked a few smiles, maybe chuckled, and at some points I was amused. Fans of spy movies will most likely be entertained. I think in this case, that might be good enough.

4/7

"Odd Hours" by Dean Koontz

The Odd Thomas series is one that holds much value to me for reasons I won't bore anybody with. Needless to say, I was quite surprised to see the newest addition, Odd Hours, sitting idly on a lonely shelf in Wal-Mart. After his religious outing, Odd Thomas set off to let the world carry him somewhere new, and it's in this book that he finds out where, and more importantly, why he was going.

After all these years, it's still evident that Mr. Koontz loves to write, he still has fun with it, which is refreshing. A true master of words, he describes things so well sometimes that it's hard to picture the scenario without the accompaniment of his words. This book contains some material that is under par for Koontz, there are a few cheesy parts, but it seems he did that on purpose, and it can be attributed to the fact that the book is "written" from Odd's point of view.

Though the book is approximately the same length as the others in the series, Odd Hours felt like it read much more quickly than the others. Maybe it's the fact that the action in this book starts and doesn't let up much until the end. Or, perhaps this is because the book is ostensibly more of a segue for the next adventure of Odd, rather than a full Odd Thomas experience. It's not quite a let down, but I feel like Koontz couldn't make up his mind between cataclysm or pit-stop. 

Odd Hours was very dreamscape-esque to me, probably because most of the novel takes place at night, and there is a considerable amount of effort put into describing the fog, and how it interacts with things, in different ways. Koontz did a much better job connecting Odd and his life to our daily world in this book than in the past efforts, which seemed to take place in a different life. By including allusions to a few contemporary people and events and working them into the story successfully, Koontz makes the events in Odd Hours seem even more dire and directly threatening.

If you want to read this book because you've read the others in the series, by all means do. If you want to read this book because it sounds interesting, start back at the beginning with Odd Thomas. I'm not saying this can't be read as a stand-alone book, but it certainly won't be appreciated for what it's worth. On second thought, just go read Odd Thomas. You'll end up at this book anyway. I can only hope that the next book in the series delivers the pent-up apocalypse that this book entices us with.

4/7

Cold-Eeze

The common cold is a lovely thing, isn't it? Feeling groggy, congested, sore throat maybe. Fantastic! I woke up with a piercing sore throat today, as I have many times in the past. Could've been that I slept with my mouth open, perhaps, except that I felt the beginnings of it last night. Could've been that I haven't been taking care of myself, except that I've been taking one-a-day vitamins and running a mile a day, which is no marathon, but it's more than I've been known to do. So basically I'm stuck with a reddened, raw throat.

My Mom introduced me to Cold-Eeze some years ago, being sort of a health freak herself. She guaranteed me that I'd feel better after one of two of 'em. If you've never had a Cold-Eeze, let me try to explain them. They're lozenges, they're supposed to melt in your mouth. Under your tongue, or pressed against your cheek, like a squirrel's nuts. The active ingredient in Cold-Eeze is Zinc gluconate. Once upon a time before they made lozenges, Cold-Eeze made a nasal spray that apparently lessened the sense of smell in some of the people that used it, caused by Zinc gluconate, spawning a class-action lawsuit. However, I don't think the same applies to the lozenges, or at least I've never noticed the difference. Cold-Eeze has a few flavors: tropical fruit, strawberries and cream, and oranges and cream. I've only had tropical fruit, but let me tell you, it's not something enjoyable to hold in your mouth. As bad as it tastes, though, I actually find that they do work, at least to an extent. As I typed this, I had a Cold-Eeze in my pie-hole, and I can safely say that my throat hurts significantly less. Whether that's permanent or temporary, time will tell. All I know is that they've got a great track record in my past. I do believe that Cold-Eeze will shorten the time that you're sick, while tasting terrible in the process.

5/7

Nintendo Wii

The Nintendo Wii, being the smallest, cheapest, sleekest console, seems like the perfect choice when considering one's options. Some people think that the Wii is only for casual game(r)s, but trust me friends, it is not. With intense titles like Super Mario Galaxy, Metroid Prime: Corruption, and The Godfather: Blackhand Edition, the Wii doles out challenges left and right. It's also versatile and innovative, offering titles like Wii Fit, Mario Kart Wii, and Wii Sports, breaking the mold of the usual first-person shooter, RPG, or Adventure game. 

Speaking of Wii Sports, you'll find it can be successfully implemented in a variety of situations! (Ed. note: should be read in Bob Odenkirk's voice)

- Cheer up a depressed friend!

- Get your (grand)parents in on the fun!

- It'll be a hit at a party with lots of people!

- Any type of intoxication makes Wii Sports even more fun!

Aside from hard-copy releases, the Wii offers gamers both a "Virtual Console," as well as the brand-new "Wii-Ware" catalogue. The Virtual Console contains old releases from basically all of the old consoles, ranging from the original NES, to Sega Genesis, Neo Geo, and Nintendo 64, all at very reasonable prices, usually ranging from $5-10. Wii-Ware is a sort of X-Box Live Arcade type excursion, more focused on creating full, new games.

The Nintendo Wii's interface is simplistic and easy on the eyes. One chooses their destination by choosing one of the many "Channels" available on the Wii, such as the Mii channel, the Photo Channel, the Forecast channel, or the News channel.

A Mii is a character that you create to represent yourself (or others) in multiple Nintendo games. There's a variety of options to choose from, allowing one to fully customize the face, as well as shirt color. The customizable face options are specific yet varied enough to create almost anyone, as evidenced in the many online collections of famous people Miis. The Wii's Mii system perfectly suits the vibe of the console, and performs more than adequately, and often, hilariously, in third person scenarios throughout various games. Sometimes more fun than an actual game, messing around with Miis provides hours of entertainment, no matter your age.

As Microsoft and Sony scramble to pick up the pieces and develop Wiimote-like accessories as well as knockoff Mii creators, Nintendo is one step ahead of them, already producing previously unseen game accessories such as the Wii Fit balance board, which is compatible with a number of games that will soon be released. This product that is able to satisfy (if given the chance) all demographics of gamer, pushes the boundaries of video gaming with the motion-control system and accelerometers contained in the Wiimote, and is cheaper than both other next-gen consoles deserves nothing less than a 7 out of 7 in my opinion. 

Firefox 3

Once upon a time, I used Firefox. I've since switched to Safari upon getting a Mac, but I still have a great amount of respect for the fiery bastard. It's a shame that there were so many technical difficulties around the release of Firefox 3, it would've been great to see it make the record books. And who knows, maybe it still did. Firefox has updated security features, added on more add-ons, and in general updated everything for this new release. I'm only reviewing Firefox 3 for Mac OS X, so this doesn't necessarily apply to the Windows version.

To start off, Firefox 3 for Mac is Cocao based, so it acts and looks like a native Apple app, even down the the default Apple font. Scrolling with the MacBook trackpad is jumpy and unsatisfying. I know there's the option of smooth-scrolling, but it's laggy and equally bad. I hate to compare it to Safari, but that's what Firefox is attempting, so I have to mention that Safari's scrolling is unbelievably smoother than that of Firefox. The interface is a bit chunky and big, taking up more of the screen than I'd like. I prefer Safari's minimalist appearance. Upon clicking a website's favicon, Firefox 3 displays said website's extended information, whereas in Safari, that action highlights the current address. But then again, you can click anywhere in the address bar in Firefox for the same effect. One thing I really like about Firefox 3 is the Smart Location bar, which analyzes how many times you go to any given website and displays the pages ranked by number of visits according to what you begin to type. Firefox also seems to load images faster than Safari, and, at certain times, whole pages. Also included is a cool preference where you can dictate what app a certain filetype opens with. One thing i was disappointed with was the fact that Firefox 3 looks exactly like Firefox 3 beta. Overall, I guess I'm a more simple browser of the internet, and I don't necessarily mind typing a quick 'wiki' after a google search topic, instead of choosing the Wikipedia search engine built in to Firefox 3, but I can definitely see how this monster of an update will spread like they intended it to.

5/7

The Incredible Hulk

The Incredible Hulk seemingly starts off right where "Hulk," the 2003 movie, ended. However, this movie is not a sequel; this movie was made in an attempt to erase the damage that Ang Lee had done to the Hulk's name, as well as to start a new Incredible Hulk movie series. It was #1 at the box-office on opening weekend, but seriously, is that still indicative of quality? This movie really filled me with mixed emotions. I didn't like how the opening credits serve as a fractured, shallow backstory, abruptly ending and shoving you into the movie slightly disoriented, but my main issue with this movie was the fact that it's hard to feel an emotional connection with any character here.

Obviously they spent a lot of money casting all those big names, but to me it didn't really pay off. Edward Norton was good, but that's all I find myself able to say about him, which is a far cry from his usual work. This movie was supposed to be about the inner-turmoil that Bruce Banner feels about what's inside of him, yet Norton did little in the way of portraying that besides telling us that he "want(s) it out." William Hurt, a fantastic actor, was probably not the right choice for General Ross. He can yell, yes, and he sports a fantastic mustache, but he just couldn't summon that cold, detached look that General Ross SHOULD have. Liv Tyler (Betty Ross) is a bad choice for almost any movie. So the cast, while looking good, falls short of expectations. Further, this movie was somewhat unrealistic, even for a comic book movie. For God's sake, Blonsky, the British Marine hired to hunt down Banner in Brazil, had at least 3 shots to peg him with a tranq dart, yet took none of them, while his generic American military back-up men quickly out-shined him, utilizing every chance they could get to shoot at Banner. Also, while Banner was a fugitive in America, Betty Ross and he decided it would be alright to walk through the college campus that Ross works for, exactly where the military is watching for him, allllllll the way to the public bus station. Guess how good of an idea that was. Possible spoiler alert, but at the end of the Hulk's fight with the Abomination (Blonsky), he just gives up. The stronger, bigger, more intense monster decides he's not as good as the Hulk and just gives up. It's just dumb little things like these that make this movie less enjoyable. However, if you're going to see this expecting only a decent comic book action movie, you might actually be satisfied. 

The Happening

It's easy to give a bad score to an M. Night Shyamalan movie. Critics at large have found in him an excuse to make a big deal out of themselves by putting down him and his projects, because, good or bad, an M. Night Shyamalan movie still makes headlines. Somehow, the media has managed to turn Shyamalan into a giving tree of sorts; he puts serious time and effort into providing us with thought-provoking entertainment, and we take it in, decide it's not good enough, and scream for more, like greedy children on Christmas morning. 

These movies require, even beg for a deeper look into them. Shyamalan doesn't make movies to scare us, he makes scary movies to prove a point to us, to further explore human nature and how it may be applied or react given certain circumstances. Besides, what would the Mona Lisa be if nobody had pondered what that little enigmatic smirk meant? She might've faded into obscurity shortly after her completion, but somebody realized that there may be something more to her.

The Happening is a movie functioning on many levels at once. On one level, Shyamalan plays on the fear of terrorism, the threat du jour, showing how jumpy and exposed we still may be in our current state. Our reliance on the media for any information is on full display in this film. All news regarding developments in the events comes from either a television or radio. The Happening is also a study in human dynamics and interaction -- the relationships between humans, the relationship between humans and nature, and the relationship between nature's characters. Not only that, but it explores how we affect the world on even the most fundamental of levels, how one person's mood can make a difference, how just our energies can actually change what goes on around us. Even taking this movie at face value, it accomplishes what it says it will: suspense, gore, and mystery all run rampant throughout the 106 minute running time.

The plot-line meanders along at such a pace that the unfurling events feel perfectly spaced apart. The characters accurately portray (I'd imagine) how confused and clueless we'd actually be were an event such as this actually to happen. The Happening is very suspenseful, taking viewers through a number of heart-pounding scenes where tension rises until seemingly something catastrophic will happen, and sometimes does. Surprisingly, this movie has a good amount of humor in it. Shyamalan uses humor in a unique way that doesn't come across as cheesy, and somehow plays into the somber tone of the movie. One thing about this film that sets it apart from most of Shyamalan's previous efforts is the fact that in most scenes, there is some sort of musical mood-setter, whereas many of his other films are content to let you sit in silence, your imagination running wild with what is about to happen. This isn't necessarily negative, and in some cases probably more adequately presents how dire, traumatic, or dramatic the situation is. Overall, James Newton Howard has brought forth another award-worthy soundtrack for a Shyamalan movie.

Most movie-goers will probably write The Happening off as another M. Night Shyamalan summer flop, but I think we should give credit where credit is due. The man has a vision, and is at least trying to do something to change an industry that drastically needs it. Don't let someone who actually has something new to say, convoluted though it may be sometimes, become the Uwe Boll of his genre.

6/7

Viva La Vida by Coldplay

Coldplay, being probably one of the most popular bands in America, had a lot to live up to after waiting three years to put out their newest release, Viva La Vida. After making a splash with the titular song in an Apple ad, people were even more excited cause violins and space just mix, man. Ask John Williams. Or Mario. Anyway, now that Viva La Vida is here, it's time to determine if Coldplay can still deliver quality music like their older albums, or if they're just too into themselves.

Viva La Vida takes you on a strange journey, from the Cemeteries of London to Violet Hill, from Japan to a brush with Death and All His Friends, then a quick escape. This record has most of the classic Coldplay formula: Chris Martin's trademark melodic Ooh's and La's, shimmering piano parts, foot-tappingly catchy beats...however, they don't seem to be able to pull it off like they used to. There's markedly less energy, and the music is not as hopeful sounding. A few songs on the record are seemingly split in half, fractured, without so much as a transition to link them, usually relying on a fade-out/fade-in. It resembles the feeling you get when you're putting together a puzzle and you think you have the right piece, but you try to put it in and it just barely doesn't fit. A lot of the songs are also slightly predictable, but predictable in that Coldplay way, where you were hoping that's where they'd take it. Not to say that this is a bad album; there are certainly some good hooks, especially in "Viva La Vida," and Coldplay has done some stuff on this cd that hasn't really been heard before, but there are parts that feel a bit too familiar, whether from Coldplay themselves, or some of their obvious influences, like U2. Simply put, Viva La Vida doesn't have the staying power of old classics like "Shiver," "Trouble," or "The Scientist," but it's still Coldplay, and that definitely counts for something.

4/7

Rising Down by The Roots

The Roots have gotten into a niche that probably every hip-hop artist/band dreams of inhabiting: they're popular and mainstream, yet indie with serious street cred. Best of all, however, The Roots are consistently GOOD. With an array of talented featured artists (including a surprising appearance by DJ Jazzy Jeff), thought-provoking rhymes, and brilliant ?uestlove beats, The Roots' new album, Rising Down, may well become a hip-hop classic.

Front and center on this album is The Roots' resident emcee, Black Thought. This man is completely inexhaustible, often times flowing for minutes on end with no break (see: 75 Bars). The effect of his lyrical style is akin to becoming a speed bag, his words the fists, rapping (puns are fun!) you so quickly that they seem to blend together. The beats on this album are notably darker than usual, and feel quite lo-fi at times. Indeed, minimalist producing is definitely one of this album's advantages, providing the album with a sense of underground significance. The Roots are a band that knows how to make dent in the system, even use the system to get to where they want. This album is a breath of fresh air in an increasingly predictable and saturated market.

6/7

Hard Candy by Madonna

The loop in Madonna's new single, "4 Minutes," is possibly the most annoying loop ever to be looped. Surprisingly, the rest of the album might just be as bad! Dripping with artistic integrity, Hard Candy is sure to be recognized as Madonna's most important to date. She informs us that "You don't have to be beautiful/ To be understood/ You don't have to be rich and famous/ To be good." If there are two things that she has dealt with her whole career, it's not being beautiful, and not being rich and famous.

Composed of mostly regurgitated pop and techno beats, and even at times cashing in on the ghetto-marching band theme that Gwen Stefani popularized with her bananas, we also find her using retro fads like disco strings that have already fallen out of rotation. However, to be fair, Madonna is nearing the big five-oh. How current can we really expect her to be? Speaking of age, the line "If you can handle it, undress me," reminds me of a Gerontology class I once took, where I learned that over 50% of senior citizens have sex at least once a month. Learn something new every day, right? When it comes down to it, 9/10 of these songs are club oriented, with one fantastic racist endeavor, fittingly entitled "Spanish Lesson," which curiously enough begins with the word "Work" repeated seven times. So that's what it takes to be "edgy" nowadays, huh?

Futurama: The Beast With A Billion Backs

Geeks everywhere rejoiced when it was announced that Futurama would be returning for a few movies and some new episodes. The second of these movies is called 'Futurama: The Beast with a Billion Backs'. Not quite as fresh as 'Bender's Big Score,' but thankfully not as disgusting, this new release might leave you hangin' a bit. But seriously, it's Futurama! How bad could it possibly be?

This movie seems to be less a continuation of the series than a stand-alone Futurama movie, although technically it takes place right after 'Bender's Big Score.' A giant rift in space and time allows Fry to travel to another universe where he meets a certain beast, who makes Fry the pope of his new religion. The plot isn't exactly award-worthy, but that's not really what I watch Futurama for (although there have been some quite compelling eps). Fans of the Fry-Loves-Leela plotline have something to look forward to in this one, also. Again, all the original voices are back, with some celebrities to round it out, such as Brittany Murphy, Stephen Hawking, and Dan Castellaneta, as well as the brilliant David Cross as Yivo, the afore-mentioned beast. The jokes are good, but they slightly miss the mark sometimes, feeling stale and/or a bit desperate. However, any true fan of Futurama will take what they can get nowadays, and this is definitely good enough.

5/7

MacBook

I took a computer class in first grade. This was my first experience with a computer, and that computer was a Macintosh. After using windows for almost my entire life, I finally switched back to Mac, and I'm extremely happy about it. There are many things I feel that Apple does better than Microsoft, or any other PC maker. Besides the operating system being superior, the keyboard, case, trackpad and screen are fantastic. All of these things comprise Apple's MacBook.

No matter when you got your MacBook, you have some version of Mac OS X. This OS is more versatile, secure, and simple to use than anything since Windows '95. Every key on the keyboard is separated by a strip of plastic. This was off-putting at first, and I didn't know how I was going to adjust to it, but after about half an hour of typing, I came to prefer it to other keyboards I've used. The placement of the f- keys is perfect, but that's probably just cause I'm so used to it. The amount of hotkeys and shortcuts on this thing is unbelievable, and surprisingly easy to remember. I have the flat black MacBook and I prefer it to its white brethren because of the lack of gloss. However, this comes with the price of being able to easily notice fingerprints and oils on the black case. The multi-touch trackpad is incredibly useful, especially for scrolling online and "right" clicking. The 1280x800 widescreen can be blindingly bright, and is remarkably sharp and clear. The MacBook is a very high quality product, and I can't imagine daily life without it by now.

7/7

X-Box 360

Upon moving back to Florida, having not seen a friend of mine for about 3 years, the first thing he asked me was "You got X-Box Live?" At the time I didn't know what he was talking about, but now you can't go anywhere without hearing about X-Box. Providing a perfect niche between the slightly more casual-oriented Wii, and the over-priced, 3-years-too-early PS3, the 360 has games for every genre.

The 360's graphical capabilities are extremely sufficient, and it's only getting better. With games like Ninja Gaiden 2, Gears of War, the Halo series, and Assassin's Creed, serious gamers have nothing to complain about. Microsoft does have a soft side though, as seen with Viva Piñata, Scene-It, and tons of X-Box Live Arcade games. Speaking of XBLA, the amount and variety of games available is actually pretty amazing, including some full downloadable X-Box originals. X-Box Live is extraordinarily well organized, and is by far the best online-console system. By using programs like Connect360, you can turn your console into a full media player. Given everything that the X-Box 360 can do, it might just be the most cost-efficient console available.

7/7

Dan In Real Life

Meet Dan, man of depression and instability. He's a widower, a newspaper advice columnist, and a father of three daughters, who he lets walk all over him. Though this movie is called 'Dan in Real Life', real life doesn't have a very big part. Full of holes and sad in a way that doesn't reflect mood, this movie doesn't really work. 

For one thing, the characters are inconsistent. Even his three daughters, who act way too old for their age, have shape-shifting personalities. There is also very little character development, again, especially for his daughters. The oldest wants to drive, the middle is in 'love', and the youngest...well she doesn't do much of anything. The fate of Dan's deceased wife is explained in less than a sentence. How can you not expect an audience to connect with the characters when all we know about them is one arbitrary fact per person? A great move by the writers. The rest of Dan's family is equally under-developed (for god's sake, Dane Cook?), spouting meaningless words of advice and awkwardity, barely meeting the standards of supporting characters. The entire movie had an overriding depressing tone, doing very little to brighten things up. All in all, there's not much to take away from this movie besides the deep idea that we should "plan to be surprised." One could take away more meaning from a fortune cookie.

3/7