When I first saw the trailer for this movie my heart sank.  Despite really liking Jackie Chan, I was almost a little mad that he was involved in what seemed more of a spoof than a remake of the old classic.

But I really like Jackie Chan, and the movie looked good in the trailers.  After seeing it in the theater, I have to say that it was a really good movie.  I’m still mad about the title, but glad they they revitalized and modernized the original for another generation to enjoy.

The movie sticks surprisingly (or annoyingly) close to the storyline of the original.  Only child of a single mom kept from the girl he likes by a group of kids skilled in martial arts from a tough school that emphasizes brutality over honor.  Kid finds a father figure in the reclusive maintenance man, who teaches him martial arts and respect.

I was really impressed with Jaden Smith’s performance in the movie.  Maybe not perfect acting, and there were definitely echoes of his father, but still good.  And he clearly has some skill when it comes to martial arts.  This was also a really good movie for Chan, after a few recent bombs.

The general storyline was carried over almost exactly from the original, even preserving scenes and character dynamics exactly.  If I had to characterize it, I would say that they took the plot from the first Karate Kid, combined it with the ethnic experience of Karate Kid II, and then spiced it up with some Jackie Chan style action, and adapted it for an audience of todays youth.

The message, like the story line, remains largely the same.  Without giving away too much, I have to say that I really enjoyed the ending.  I was hungry for it by that point, and thought I was going to get let down, but was happy that it went the way it did.  For a minute I was afraid that they were going to do another mocking parallel of the original, but they very respectfully and elloquently payed homage while giving it a major face lift. 

Overall, I enjoyed it and for the most part, I was able to put aside my grievances and enjoy the movie for what it was.  With the exception of emphasizing the athletic styles of martial arts, the message was great and I hope a lot of kids watch this movie and go home with something more than the urge to throw some kicks at their friends.

This weekend, with temperatures dipping to -18°C and both Jess and I playing a symphony of coughing and sniffling noses, we thought we’d give the iTunes movie rental a whirl.  The way it works is pretty nice, though I think it should be cheaper – we won’t get into that right now.

The rental was $3.99 USD, and you get 28 days to start watching the movie.  After you start it, you have 24 hours before it’s deleted.  Not a bad deal, especially for something you’re not interested in watching more than once or twice.  Especially considering the purchase price of $14.99USD. 

We decided on Julie & Julia – A movie about a woman who had originally intended to become a writer and had previously abandoned a novel she was writing, who is now working a government job in New York City.  She’s tired of never finishing anything she really wants to acomplish and feels overshadowed by her friends’ successes while at the same time disgusted by the fact that they have become self-absorbed and distant due to those career successes. 

Already someone who enjoys cooking, and has achieved a moderate level of proficiency, she decides to assign herself the challenge of cooking every recipe in Julia Child’s cookbook within one year (365 days), and blog about the experience.

The movie depicts the lives of the two women – the present day Julie, and Julia Child as she writes the book and deals with the challenges of establishing herself as a professional. 

I found that I related very closely to the main character.  I, too, had original aspirations towards being a writer, I enjoy cooking, and rarely finish anything I have started.  In fact – that was part of my inspiration to stick with Taekwondo for as long as I have – and I can’t say I regret it! 

So the movie spoke to me, personally, and has helped inspire me to revive both my writing efforts through this blog, and my dwindling efforts in the kitchen.  Before the movie, I had even talked about doing something very similar – cooking a different recipe from a cookbook every day – but never got around to doing it.

There are so many things in life that can easily distract us from living our lives.  Things that distract us from what’s really important, and from realizing who we are.  As a person with widely varied interests, my original intent with this blog was to chronicle my explorations down many different paths.  As the title of this blog implies: I have many interests, but few specialties.  I hope I can live up to my own expectations of trying more new things and sharing those experiences through this online journal. 

I also hope that, while doing so, I don’t lose sight what is most important, which is not so much just to have the experiences, as to share them.