If BCMers Were Characters From Lord of the Rings...

So I'm watching the Lord of the Rings and I had this thought: what if BCMers were characters from Lord of the Rings? 

I started with just the fellowship:

I try to not use names in a blog....hence the 'figure out those initials' game!  :-)

Aragorn: BC - noble and humble and would totally be BA with a sword.
Gandalf: SK - our wise leader.
Legolas: JC - for his mad bow skills and his general knowledge of the woodland realm.
Boromir: I can't think of anyone.  Boromir is kinda' weak until the very end (which is where it mattered most, I'll grant him that).
Sam: AG - because he's the real hero of this story and the best friend of Frodo....
Frodo: RG - because she's whiny and has to be literally carried by Sam.
Merry: LG - because he's brave and all but also loves to have fun.  And because he's best friends with Pippin...
Pippin: PA - because he's brave and all but also loves to have fun.  And because he's best friends with Merry.  And because he would knock a skeleton down into the well and bring all the goblins running.

We have no Gimli. Try as I might, I can't think of anyone close to Gimli.

So think about it...watch the movies again.  When you watch these people in the fellowship interacting with one another, think about their corresponding BCM character and you'll see what I mean.  :-)

Then I start thinking all kinds of other thoughts.  Like, SM and KJ would be elves (KJ would be an elf like Tauriel).  HK would be Galadriel (you know she and Gandalf kind of like each other?).  EJ would be a man of Gondor.  CR and LS would be elven princesses.  MeCo and HG would be women of the Rohirrim.  In fact, Me could be Eowyn and NaCo could be her brother Theodin. 

This has been fun.

Now Nyquill is taking me away before I can finish so sorry if I didn't get to someone...goodnight!

Five Reasons Why I LOVE HTTYD 2!

I LOVED How to Train Your Dragon 2!  I mean, I thought the first one was good but I usually don't hold out much hope for sequels (you know how they usually are).  However, a trip to the theater for this particular sequel was a wonderful surprise!  I went with my sister and three friends - one of whom did not share my opinion about the movie.  She has challenged me to write a blog post detailing why I like the movie so here goes.

#1. Humor
There were a surprisingly high number of genuinely funny moments in this movie!  Roughnut supplied many of them.

I kid you not, I was laughing out loud when she would speak - she's such a goober!  Thank goodness for this guy:

If it hadn't been for Eret, son of Eret, she would have provided the same lackluster humor as in the first movie.  Now that we've seen this new character and had the character developments that came from his introduction to the series, we've got real laughing moments.  

And not all humor came from Ruffnut - others caused me to crack up as well (Fishguts slow mo cheek jiggle, anyone?).  This was just the most pronounced and the most enjoyable.

#2. Adorable moments
 This movie had them.  First of all, every time that Toothless and Hiccup have a moment, it's adorable.  Their friendship is concrete, playful, loyal, and unique in Berk.  Of course, other people have their pet dragons in Berk as well and their pets are special to them.  But it's just not on the same level as Hiccup and Toothless.  Hiccup and Toothless are like two halves that make a whole.  Kindred spirits!  (if I may borrow an Anne of Green Gables phrase)

 Other adorable moments came from Hiccup and Astrid's interactions.  I enjoyed Astrid's impersonation of Hiccup (so cute) and I loved that their relationship wasn't overdone - their relationship wasn't the point of the movie.  It was recognized, given it's appropriate moments, and then we moved on to what the movie was actually about. 

And of course, Stoic and Valka.  Touching, real, and just perfect. Again - not overdone.

#3. Toothless 
It has been said by some (*ahem*) that Toothless is overrated and everyone loves him.  You're darn right everyone loves him - he's AWESOME!   Cloudjumper is the only other dragon to come close to being as cool as Toothless but even Cloudjumper pales in comparison to Toothless.  Toothless reminds me of Stitch, a cat, and a dog - all wrapped up into one totally awesome friend.  He's super intelligent, curious, playful, but all business when it's necessary.  He is so loyal to his friend Hiccup that he's saved Hiccup's life multiple times and Toothless does it without batting an eye.  

#4 & #5. The fantasy of it...but the reality of it
And..... now we start to run into the crux of the movie review.  This is a fantasy film, right?  We're presented a world where dragons not only exist but are in fact a huge part of life.  In this world, one can catch, train, and befriend a dragon.  It will take you soaring through the clouds as you discover new lands together.  It will play with you, understand you, sympathize with you, be a smart aleck to you, take you safely through battle, and will risk death for you.  

I'm not going to lie - from the first moment of watching the characters (looking cool, I might add, with their face paint) actually race dragons, to one of the final moments when Toothless wraps Hiccup up in his wings to protect him from what would have been certain death, I thought, "I WANT A DRAGON!".   What a cool world, right?  We like it. 

Supposedly, J.R.R. Tolkien (creator of the world for which once a year I will happily spend 12 consecutive hours in front of a television for, i.e., the extended edition LOTR trilogy) said,

“Fantasy is escapist, and that is its glory."

I believe it and I like it.  Reading/watching something from the fantasy genre takes us to a world in which we could not otherwise gain entrance.  It's why we love fantasy! 

While fantasy helps us 'escape' from the Earth we know, from the circumstance we are are bound to (like, magic is not real, dragons do not exist, you can't really time travel, we can't go visit intelligent life on other planets, etc), fantasy does not (because it cannot) help us escape the themes of reality.  And it shouldn't try to.

There is no fantasy novel or movie will you find that you can escape the themes of love and loss, joy and sadness....life and death.  How to Train Your Dragon 2 is no exception.

Huge spoiler coming!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stoic dies saving his son's life.  

Is this a sad moment in the film?  You better believe it.  I was crying big time.  Was his death unnecessary?  Yep.  It didn't provide any kind of motivation for Hiccup he didn't already have, it didn't result in the bad guy's demise - it didn't do anything except make me regret not bringing tissues to the theater.  Would I have liked Stoic to live so that he, Valka, and Hiccup could be one big, happy family for the first time in forever?  Oh yes. 

Just because this is a fantasy film and we've escaped from the Earth we know, that doesn't mean that we can escape from the themes of life itself.  Love and loss, joy and sadness....life and death - we cannot have one without the other.  Even in fantasy. IF you can give me a fantasy movie that doesn't experience these basic themes (both sides of them), I'll give you 10 that do.

"We enjoy warmth because we have been cold. We appreciate light because we have been in darkness. By the same token, we can experience joy because we have known sadness." (supposedly a quote from David Weatherford)

 

So Stoic dies.  I don't like it but that doesn't mean that it ruins the movie for me.  In fact, I enjoy that Dreamworks didn't try this time to make people believe that life always has a perfect ending.  You can have a happy ending without it being perfect.  Most of the time, Disney, Dreamworks, Pixar, etc. - they give kids (their primary audience most of the time) a perfect ending because that's what children can handle.  And I understand that.  I can think of exactly 10 animated movies I've seen where one of the good guys who is actually SEEN in the movie and has LINES dies FOR REAL:

1) Bambi's mother (1942) 

2) Little Foot's mother (1988)

3) Mufasa (1994)

4) Tarzan's parents and Kerchak (1999)

5) Atlantis's leader - King Kashekim Nedakh (2001)

6) Koda's mother (Brother Bear - 2003)

7) Coral (Finding Nemo - 2003)

8) Ray (from Princess and the Frog - 2009).  

9)  Elsa and Anna's parents (2013)

10) Stoic (2014)

That's it.  Ten out of hundreds.  How many of these ten were given significant screen time so that they could be considered main characters?  I count five. 

There could be more but I certainly can't think of them.  We see bad guys meet their demise in movies and there are many tales that are sad - but it's either from someone dying before the movie begins or someone comes close to dying but just happens to be able to come back to us at the last second (Gurgi, Beast, Snow White, Eugene, Aurora, Baloo, Basil, Robin Hood, Meg, etc.).  Because that's what kids can handle. 

As an adult, I appreciate Dreamworks for being true to the fantasy genre.  They took us to a world we can't go on our own but they didn't entirely strip the very themes of life away from their story.  

Now, the ending of this movie: When all looks lost, Toothless starts glowing blue, he's mega powerful, and he breaks the Alpha's hold on the other dragons.  Surprising?  Kind of.  Okay?  Yes.  Here's why.  Yes, it happens in movie after movie - the hero is suddenly aware of or comes into possession of powers that save the day at the last moment.  It's a bit cliche.

Or is it?

 In our world, adrenaline produced during moments of fear or anger can give us strength that we don't have at other times.  We're given courage to do something that we wouldn't normally have been able to do.  It happens.  In a fantasy world, why does it not follow that during an intense moment of fear or anger, in a world were magic and the like exist, characters can discover a power that helps them overcome their situation?

 I'm just saying, it's not totally cliche or out of the realm of possibilities.  

To sum it all up, I loved the movie.  It was a realistic fantasy and I know you're going to call that an oxymoron but I stand behind my statement.  My reasons were previously stated in reasons 4 & 5.

 

I know that I didn't change your mind, Lexi...  ;-)

 

But in the words of Larry the Cucumber,

"I lauged, I cried, it moved me, Bob."

And that's enough for me.  :-)

 

 

 

 

 

You know what I abhor?

Rachelle here.  I break my writing hibernation for a very important topic.  There have been many topics cross my mind these last few months - many things I wanted to write about and I'm sure you would have enjoyed my thoughts on those issues, but I just didn't have the time.  Now though, now I'm really steamed and I'll make time.  

Plus, this will be a fairly short post.

Back to what I abhor!

Evergreen trees.  Pine, Spruce, Hemlock, Fir - all of them.  I loathe evergreens. 

Look at these trees.  In this picture there is clearly a good tree and clearly a bad tree.  Let's discuss this further, shall we?

#1: Evergreens are not pleasing to the eye.  Not to my eye, anyway.  They are ALL the exact same ugly shade that is especially hideous when the pinecones form on the end of each branch, turning the trees a burnt green color.  When that's all there is to stare at for miles, it gets irritating. 

#2: Evergreens are full of pitch - especially spruce.  You get near a spruce tree and you discover there is pitch everywhere - it WILL get in hair, on clothes, on shoes, and on hands.  I have had to cut pitch out of my hair when I was younger - a scarring occasion. 

#3: Evergreens poke.  They don't have leaves, they have needles.  Needles POKE.  Enough said.

#4: Evergreens are evergreen.  They don't change.  We look at that ugly shade of green 12 months out of the year.  Yes, with deciduous trees we see naked branches for a few months (although those branches are sometimes graced with frost or snow and that is also beautiful).  But that's what makes us appreciate when the buds come, then when the leaves unfurl, and even more so when they become a riot of colors in the fall!  The change is beautiful - the evergreens don't change.  It gets irritating.

#5:  Evergreens are inaccessible.  You can not climb an evergreen and have it be a good experience.  The branches are too close together, the bark is rough, the pitch is everywhere, the needles poke you everywhere - it just can't be cheerfully done.  

#6.  Evergreens can have pine needles on their trunks.  Stupid.

I'm sure I could go on but you get the point.  I really don't like evergreens.  Except for Christmas time.  This totally does not include Christmas time.

Rachelle out.

"I don't agree with the Bible"....

So usually I write about funny things, stuff related to movies, or whimsical fancies.  I'm going to hit 'pause' on that for a moment...


This morning I did quite a bit of 'rabbit trailing' on the internet.  You know how it goes:

Read a blog post, click on a link embedded within to a news article, read that, click on a different link on the sidelines, hear a phrase you don't know, type 'define ______' into google, see a wikipedia page for it, read that and 10 other wikipedia pages that relate to it, somewhere along the line you click on a link to a youtube video, watch 8-25 youtube videos, realize that you've trailed and you want to go back to whatever you were originally on the internet for but for the life of you, can't figure out what that was so.... type something new into the google search engine (something you just thought of perhaps because someone walked in and said something or you got on facebook for a quick check and saw someone's post) and start the entire process all over again.

Thus describes a typical 2 hours on the internet for me.

Anyway, today during my internet time I was seeing the phrase,

"I'm a Christian but I don't agree with everything in the Bible". 

I have heard this many times and it's something I'm interested in so I continued down this particular trail.  What I found prompted me to write this post. 

I NEED TO PREFACE this by saying that this is not me trying to put my finger in anyone's face.  This is me and what I believe. 

I'M GOING TO USE THE WORD 'CHRISTIAN' and this is what I mean when I say that: I believe that a Christian is a follower of Christ - one who has essentially told God, "I believe that You are the one true God, that I am a sinner, and that You sent Your Son to die for me.  Please forgive me of my sins because I am truly sorry.  I commit my life to You."

AND I ALSO AM NOT trying to make this about 'figuring out whether someone is or is not a Christian'.  Only you and God know your heart and if you have truly given your life to Him.  It's not for me to make a judgement call on that and I would never presume to do that. 

All THAT leads up to me saying this:

I believe that rather than say, "I'm a Christian but I don't agree with everything in the Bible.", one should either say,

"I'm a Christian but I think that sometimes God lies."

or

"I'm a Christian but I think I've got a better handle on how to deal with this than God does."

The Bible is not an opinion piece that one can agree or disagree with.  The Bible is the infallible Word of God to you and I - written by the hand of men, yes, but inspired by God.  This is His message of truth to us and His hand was 100% in it's making. 

If someone reads in the Bible that God created everything in 7 days (as an example) and says, "I don't agree with that" then what they're really saying is, "I know God is laying it out here and telling me that He created the earth in 7 days but I don't believe Him."  God was not giving an opinion on how maybe earth came to be - He was not presenting a possible theory.  He was telling us, "I made all this!"  One either believes that God is telling the truth in that statement (and all others) or one believe that God can and does lie.

If you do believe that God lies, then there are some pretty serious problems right there.  That would be a different blog post entirely.

Sometimes there are directions from God in the Bible.   For example, we are told by God expressly through the Bible not to lie, steal, or commit fornication.  For someone to look at those verses and say, "I don't agree with that" then what they're really saying is, "I don't believe that God knows best in this life situation.  I know a better way to live my life than He does."  I'm just going to say it:

That is arrogance.

There are some pretty serious problems there as well if one thinks that they know, understand, or can reason better than God.

Isaiah 44:6
Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: 'I am the first and I am the last, and there is no God besides Me.'

Isaiah 55: 8-9
"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, " declares the LORD.  "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts."

I would sincerely love for people to think about this before they say, "I don't agree with the Bible" - think about what's really being said by that phrase.  It is each Christian's right to believe that God is not telling the truth or that they know better than He.  I will point out that just because we have the right to think something doesn't necessarily make what we think correct.  But it is a right.  Just, please, realize what you're saying.

Alright - I've spoken my piece.  If you think differently than I do, please don't think that I'm shaking my finger at you.  This is not an angry rant, designed to sever friendships or start Facebook debates (I loathe publicly debating over a Facebook post - PM it, text it, call me, or knock on my door if you want to have a discussion like that :-)) or anything like that. 

I'm speaking what I feel that God has put on my heart this morning.  Take it how you will.  :-)
 

So....moving :-)

Well, informing the world of both joys and woes that came from moving is a bit overdue.

First of all, let me tell you that the biggest joy was that WE MOVED INTO OUR FIRST HOUSE!  Oh glory, it is amazing.

We began this journey back in November when, one night, our realtor convinced us to take a look at just one more house.  I didn't want to go because I had seen pictures online, seen the price, and thought that we wouldn't have a prayer.  But go to see it we did and the instant I walked in, this feeling of being home washed over me.  I had never felt anything like it through all the houses we had looked through before (even with the house that we had originally made an offer on weeks beforehand - the house that had fallen through)!  With each room I went in, the feeling just grew stronger.  THIS was a house we could live in for a long time.  THIS was a house we could spread out in (we DO have a lot of stuff).  THIS was a house that could host a lot of company (I love that we always have company).  THIS was a house that we could make into a home.

SO!  I went home that night and wrote a letter to the owners and we sent that with the proposal (which was sent the next day).  This began the paperwork process.

Oh.

My.

Goodness.

Paper.  Work.  AHHHH!

SO MUCH PAPERWORK!  In reality, it could have been worse.  It could have taken 8 weeks (it only took us 37 days to go from submitting a proposal to getting keys).  But still, over that time there were so many meetings.  There was so much paper to collect and copy/scan/e-mail.  There was so much to listen to.  There was literally hours of signing/initialing papers.  Seriously, our last meeting was 55 straight minutes of listening to the explanation of what each paper was and then signing/initialing the bottom.  I know it's all important but I am SO glad it's over with!

ON TO THE EXCITING PART - MOVING IN!

Well, it wasn't just exciting.  It was also exhausting, dirty, unorganized at times, and I'm still not all the way unpacked (which is driving me bananas!).  But the biggest portion of moving was exciting.  :-)  Let me tell you how it went:

We had been packing our apartment up for the 2 weeks leading up to the move - most days it was from after we got home from work until 11 at night or so.  On Friday (the day before the big move), the keys were dropped off to me at work and I picked up Veronica IMMEDIATELY after work was over.  I seriously bolted FROM my SEAT in the staff meeting when that minute hand pointed straight up.  We headed to the house (MY NEW HOUSE!) and started cleaning. 

Fact: we are cute.

Now, the house wasn't gross - it just needed to have a thorough cleaning for me to feel good about moving our things in.  Until 11:00 that night, we were cleaning cupboards, appliances, bathrooms, windows, floors, and walls.  Doing battle against tile whilst on hands and knees, combating scum and grease, fending off spiders - it was quite the event.

Not an exact scale model of us fending off our spiders but close!

We only took a break to go eat dinner at the Clay Oven (newish Indian food restaurant here in the valley - DELISH!) - then it was back to cleaning.  We arose at 6 a.m. the next morning and began the process anew.  The cleaning continued for most of Saturday but that would be only for me and Veronica - the boys had to actually MOVE our stuff.  Can I say that Avery and I have collected a lot of STUFF in our short lives?!  My goodness - it just kept coming!  And surprisingly, most of it appears to belong in my scrapbooking room....

Two full Uhauls and four truck bed loads later, all of our possessions were finally moved. 

Fine, upstanding gentlemen!

I love living in a house with stairs but I (and probably and some fine, upstanding gentlemen) were not excited about the stairs while we were doing unloading.  Did you know that we had two beds, two dressers, 3 tables, 7 bookshelves and a PLETHORA of book boxes that all had to be packed upstairs?  Goodness....

So that night, our first night in the house, Frank and Vivian came to town with Avery's piano in the back of their truck!  We had quite a time unloaded it but finally got it in the house and my teapots have resided on top ever since.

So in the last 3 weeks, we've steadily been settling in, unpacking, organizing, reorganizing, and building things (like a bed frame and coat rack).  It was amazing having Avery's parents here - we would come down in the morning and they would have already been up since the wee hours (early risers!) unpacking our house and getting things cleaned - kind of like elves!  Avery and his dad spent a lot of time in the garage building, which was cool.  Also, Frank and Vivian took over the kitchen for us - cooking AND cleaning!  We've been spoiled, let me tell you.  Lots of family dinners together (in our new dining room, at the new dining room table!) with both sets of siblings over - those have been great.  It's just been a pretty darn exciting few weeks!  :-)

So to sum all this moving up, let me tell you the top five woes and joys that came from this move:

Me after doing items 1-4...every time. 

Woes
#1. Packing after work is exhausting.
#2. Unpacking after work is exhausting.
#3. Deep cleaning for hours upon hours is exhausting.
#4. Looking through my unpacked boxes to find items is exhausting.
#5. We don't live upstairs from Kayla and her adorable wee bairns anymore. :-(







Joys
#1. Beautiful hardwood floors (as opposed to carpet) instantly lifts one's spirits.
#2. Not having to worry about loud noises bothering people to the right or the left of us is fabulous (bring on the surround sound!).
#3. A walk-in closet for me is so fantastic that I can hear a hallelujah chorus whenever I walk in.
#4. A real guest room makes me feel like a great host - not a good host, but a great host.  And that makes me happy.
#5. Having a bathroom for just Avery and I - amazing!
#6. Having all of my things actually be unpackable (vs. having to let them sit in cardboard boxes in closets for years on end) is so helpful.
#7. My books are all able to be displayed proudly (and alphabetically by genre) on shelves - truly a thing of beauty.
#8. Having a piano in the house is actually a lot of fun!
#9. My big kitchen counter is big enough for all I need it to be - it's glorious.
#10. Did I mention that I have a walk-in closet?
#11..... 

Wait, was I only supposed to give 5 joys....?  :-)

Keep Calm - The Hobbit 3 Will Release in 347 Days

My ticket - a treasure

The Hobbit - a magical book written by the genius J.R.R. Tolkien.  Enjoyed for the last 75 years by readers of all ages, now The Hobbit has been brought to life on screen by none other than Peter Jackson (yet another genius).  I read the book ages and ages ago but at the time that the first Hobbit movie came out, the only thing I could remember from the story was that a younger Bilbo goes on an adventure with Gandalf and some dwarves to a mountain containing both gold and a dragon.  I did not remember anything about the journey, the dwarves, the ending - nothing.  Then I watched the first movie and I fell in love again with the story!  I was tempted to reread the book to find out what happens to everyone because, of course, I'm curious.  But I didn't - I decided to wait for the next movie.  I wanted to be able to be surprised in the theater when I saw The Desolation of Smaug.  I'm sure I could have read the book first and still enjoyed the movie but that's the decision I made.

Hannah, I know at this point you're whining, "Racheeeeeellllle, this is too long - get to the point!"  If I were there in person while you were reading this I would respond with a sharp, "Hush and keep reading."

I love taking pics in front of the posters :-)

So anyway, on the first day of 2014, I went to the theater with some family members and we got great
seats.  From the very beginning, I was captivated by the story woven on screen.  I spent 2 hours and 40 minutes alternating between being on the edge of my seat, giving audible, "YeAH!"s, smiling with delight, covering my eyes, elbowing Hannah with whispered remarks, and constantly asking myself, "WHAT is going to happen next?!".  Since I've traveled this path, let me walk you through some of that amazingness that is The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug.

*I don't think that this review contains any spoilers but if I'm wrong and I spoil something for you, I'm sorry!

Now, Peter Jackson had some great material to work with - Tolkien's Middle Earth tales are gold.  I'm going to go out on a limb and say that Jackson made some alterations (they always do when they turn a book into a movie) but the story remains marvelous.  We watch a hobbit, who's never left the comfort of home before, face danger and uncertainty on a huge level over an extended period of time.  This movie takes place 1 year after the first - Bilbo and the company of dwarves/Gandalf have been walking through Middle Earth, bent on their mission of reaching the Lonely Mountain, doing battle with Orcs and the like, for A YEAR!  What perseverance!

And to think that I complain about the hardships of being on an exercise bike for 45 minutes.  I shame myself. 

It was great to get a little back story on what happened that led up to the dwarves meeting Gandalf at Bilbo's house.  Rabbit trail: I appreciated Peter Jackson's cameo in Bree - I like when I can tell that it's him (his cameo in the first Hobbit movie was too difficult - I had to look it up).  Back on the path!  We find the company closer to the lonely mountain but getting there becomes increasingly difficult.  One difficulty is a forest of disgusting, huge spiders.  Bilbo is initially the savior of the group in that instance (I just love that he actually jumps in and saves people's lives as opposed to needing someone to save him - more on that later) but even this brave, vest-wearing Watson can't battle the entire horde of spiders that comes after them so of course, cue Legolas and his band of merry elves, fighting in all their elven glory.  Indeed, throughout this entire film, there are some really cool action scenes where we see the elves (especially Legolas) perform fun feats.  It's like they're ninja gymnasts but we get to see their faces and their long hair, free from the confines of a bun, somehow remains looking smooth throughout the entire ordeal.  I would say it's a miracle but I know that they're elves - that's just how they roll.

King Thranduil - I don't like him.

Speaking of elves, I don't like Thranduil.  Look at this face!  Even without watching him on screen,
you can just sense that:

#1: He's a little nuts.
#2: He has a thing for himself and power.
#3: He's not to be trusted.

This fashionista is not cool and I'm sad that Legolas is his son.
(Interesting tidbit: did you know that Orlando Bloom is actually 2 years older than Lee Pace?!)

Moving on to Tauriel, I couldn't help but still see Kate from Lost when I looked at her face.  It wasn't necessarily bad but it is a fact.  I'm not sure yet what I think of her role in all of this.  I know that she's Jackson invented (not in Tolkien's work) and it's not a bad role - I just don't know how necessary it was to create a love triangle.  On the one hand, it's a nice break from the constant walk, run, flash swords, run, etc.  On the other hand - really?  With a dwarf that she just met?  She's willing to disobey her king, leave their forest, pursue a band of bloodthirsty orcs herself - all for a dwarf that she had exactly one conversation with?  I'm not sure it's very believable.  But oh well - it didn't bother me.  Indeed, I am intrigued to find out this little pickle gets solved in the next movie!

'OhmygoshLegolaslookOUT!' face

Speaking of elves and bloodthirsty orcs, I was impressed that the fight scenes kept me so on the edge of my seat!  Even during fighting scenes involving characters that I knew had to live because they were in Lord of the Rings, I was still worried.  For example, I caught myself saying, "OhmygoshLegolaslookOUT!".  Yes, they were that good.    I thought that a main character was going to die at one point - I was just sure we were going to have another 'Sean-Bean-arrows-in-his-chest-slow-motion-style' episode and I was going to be so mad.  My tear ducts were on standby and the fires of intense anger were being stoked...but then it didn't happen after all.  *whew* Close one.
I did have to close my eyes once or twice during fight scenes (beheadings of orcs and manual dismantling of spiders are pretty gross) but that's fine.

In the later half of the movie, we're treated to a new area of Middle Earth - Laketown.  With that,

Bard: solemn, good bowman, possibly Will Turner's older brother

comes some new characters - the most indelible of which is Bard.  Indelible why, you ask?

#1. He wears a coat that although it looks like it's seen better days, is still pretty cool.  I want one.
#2. He could TOTALLY be Will Turner's older brother and I know I'm not the only one who thinks so.
#3. He's a bigger part of this Smaug drama than what initially meets the eye.
#4. Last but certainly not least, he's a good guy.  Thorin and Co. don't want to trust him but fooey on them.  He was good to his word.  And Bard wants what's best for his family and his community.  His arguments against Thorin's plan are pretty legit - he's thinking realistically.

Also, we took a 'Which Hobbit Character Are You?' quiz and it says that I'm Bard :-)


Now, we come to Smaug, the stupendous.  I was surprised that he did so much talking - but how wonderful!  Benedict never fails to rise to the occasion.  His voicing of Smaug was brilliant - just brilliant.  Gave me goosebumps.  The exchange between Bilbo and Smaug intrigued me.  Bilbo's answer to Smaug's 'Who are you?' was marvelous - just marvelous!

Bilbo Baggins: hobbit, adventurer, cleverest and bravest of them all!

Speaking of Bilbo, can we just wrap this up with my very favorite character?!  Bilbo, with his fantastic vests and facial expressions - he is a wonder.  Here he is, on his very first adventure, actually swinging his sword, taking out wargs and orcs, being the one to save others instead of always needing to be saved.  Bilbo is courageous in a way that Frodo is not.  Bilbo gets things done in a way that Frodo can not.  Now, I like Frodo - he's a good character!  But he pales in comparison to Bilbo.  Bilbo is quick on his feet both literally and figuratively.  The responses to both Gollum (in the first movie) and Smaug i(n this one) are clever.  Bilbo is fair and just, he doesn't give up, even when everyone else does, and he sees the good in people.  What a guy.  What a hobbit.  Three cheers for Bilbo Baggins!!!

Now, I think that'll do it for now.  I would like to remind you that I have NO IDEA how the next movie will end.  I watched that cliff hanger and resolved to not read the book, look anything up online, or talk to anyone about the ending because I want to be very surprised in the theater next December.  Please do NOT give anything away to me :-D

Now, if you haven't seen The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, GO SEE IT!  :-D

Greatest Wizard: Gandalf, Dumbledore, or Merlin?

Over lunch, Avery asked me, “Who is a better wizard: Gandalf, Dumbledore, or Merlin?” 

Gandalf - Lord of the Rings

Dumbledore - Harry Potter

Merlin - Merlin

I stopped mid-chew of a turkey sandwich.  The question had never been asked of me before and I’d never linked the three of them together – WHAT was the answer?! 

The more I thought about it, the more confused I became.  I’m still confused but the question must be answered so here I go, on a quest to discover truth.  You may join if you wish (I have cool photos).

*Please note 1: some info may be gather from the actual books that produced the movies, rather than just from what we see in the movies themselves.

*Please note 2: When I speak of Merlin (also known as Emrys but I’ll call him Merlin for the duration of this blog) I will be speaking of Merlin from the BBC show Merlin – I know nothing else about the character Merlin than what I’ve seen in this show (Disney’s Sword in the Stone doesn’t count – wonderful as it is).

Round 1. Magic: Who has more powerful magic?

Gandalf shows us his magic in pyrotechnics most often – firework, flaming pinecones, inflaming trees, keeping fires going in blizzard conditions, etc.  We see him use his stick as a flashlight and blow smoke ships through Bilbo’s smoke rings – those are fun pieces of magic.  And if he needs a ride he speaks the language of the moths so they can go collect the eagles for him.  As far as real power – it was pretty amazing that he created the bubble shield against the Balrog (I’m curious why he didn’t use that more often though….seems like it would have come in handy against people like the Witch King of Agmar) and when he came back to Middle Earth we can see that his power has grown when he snaps Saruman’s staff with a mere spoken word.  He also possesses some ability to see into the future.  And let’s not forget that after Pippen’s dangerous encounter with the palantir, Gandalf restored him. 

Dumbledore studied magic his whole life.  He dueled and defeated a great wizard named Grindelwald, despite the fact that Grindelwald possessed what was possibly the greatest wand of all time.  The powerful Dumbledore took the powerful wand and with it, became the only wizard that the evil and quite powerful Voldemort feared.  Lots of power going on here.  Later, Dumbledore uses his magic to capture all Death Eaters but one and then he encases Voldemort in a dome of water, turns Voldemort’s hurling glass into sand, and makes statues obey his commands.  On a lighter note, we see Dumbledore doing fun things like blow out or light candles and put food on the table (I LIKE that!).  He can either apparate or head out in style on a Phoenix if the going gets rough.  And this dude knows how to pull memories out of his head so he can reflect on them and share them with others.

Merlin is young, far younger than the other two wizards.  However, age does not a wizard make.  Gaius himself tells Merlin right off the bat that he’s special – most wizards have to study to use their gifts but with Merlin it’s elemental and instinctive.  With a golden light in his eyes and an utterance (aloud or in his mind) Merlin can defeat any monster that crosses his path, save the city from plagues, heal desperately sick people, control dragons (since he IS a dragon lord), control elements like wind and water, expose villainous witches and warlocks, engineer escapes for those who were wrongly imprisoned, bring magical lightning down out of the sky to defeat a powerful witch and then use the power of life and death to bring Gaius back from death, create potions not just for healing but also for the undoing of powerful and evil witches/wizards, see into the future….these things are done in every episode.  Under the very nose of Uther.  Without anyone but Gaius and Lancelot ever knowing.  Sometimes, no one knows.

Ladies and gentlemen, I think our choice is clear: Merlin has the strongest magic.

Gandalf: 0     Dumbledore: 0         Merlin:1

Round 2. Strength: Who would win in a battle if magic wasn’t allowed?

Gandalf is a real trooper.  He walks everywhere so he’s in much better shape than Dumbledore even though he’s older than Dumbledore.  Rather than solely relying on the magic of his staff (as Dumbledore his wand), Gandalf wields his staff as a pretty mean weapon and his sword skills aren’t bad for an old man.  He actually kills Orcs, Goblins, and Urak hai with those things.  Dumbledore probably couldn’t lift a sword.  Of course, Merlin being young, is in much better shape than either wizard but he does tend to trip and goof up without his magic (one reason why Arthur laughs when someone suggests that Merlin is a powerful wizard).  He has some sword skills but in the end, he must always rely on magic.

That means: Gandalf takes this round.

Gandalf: 1     Dumbledore: 0         Merlin: 1

Round 3. Wisdom: Who is the most clever, the wisest of them all?

Gandalf is a source of wisdom for the fellowship.  He knows what’s going on with the ring, he knows that he should not be the one to take it because he could not withstand the temptation to use it, so he sends it with the best possible person – Frodo.  Furthermore, Gandalf knows that Frodo will need Sam so he has Samwise Gamgee pack up and go along.  Gandalf knows where to find answers and he knows how things will probably end up so he plans accordingly.  Once he becomes Gandalf the White he becomes more clever and convinces others to help him distract Sauron’s eye from Mount Doom so Frodo and Sam have a chance.  Gandalf is one who sees men for what they are and for what they might be.  And you gotta’ love this:

“Pity? It was pity that stayed Bilbo's hand. Many that live deserve death. Some that die deserve life. Can you give it to them, Frodo? Do not be too eager to deal out death in judgment. Even the very wise cannot see all ends. My heart tells me that Gollum has some part to play yet, for good or ill before this is over. The pity of Bilbo may rule the fate of many.” ~ Gandalf  

Dumbledore was the most clever headmaster Hogwarts ever saw.  No matter what was done in ‘secret’ – Dumbledore always knew what was up.  From the beginning of Harry’s life, Dumbledore was setting in motion plans that would keep him safe and plans that would eventually bring the demise of Voldemort.  Dumbledore’s knowledge seems to know no limits – he even knew how many turns on the time-turner it would take to get Hermione and Harry to the EXACT moment they needed to be at to save more than one life (The Prisoner of Azkaban).  Meanwhile, Dumbledore never runs out of great things to say:

“Do not pity the dead Harry.  Pity the living, and, above all, those who live without love.”

 “It is a curious thing, but perhaps those who are best suited to power are those who have never sought it.  Those who have leadership thrust upon them, and take up the mantle because they must, and find to their own surprise that they wear it well.”

“It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live.”

“Dark times lie ahead of us and there will be a time when we must choose between what is easy and what is right.”

“It is our choices...that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.”

“Happiness can be found in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.”

In the beginning, Merlin largely relies on either the dragon or Gaius for wisdom.  Merlin seems to know what his heart wants or what he feels is right but he has a harder time looking at everything in perspective and thinking about the whole picture.  He does, as he ages, gain more wisdom and he does make decisions that in the end, turn out to be good ones.  However, I can’t say that Merlin is wiser than Gandalf or Dumbledore. 

Choose between those two, I’m going to go with: Dumbledore (with Gandalf as a close second).

Gandalf: 1     Dumbledore: 1         Merlin: 1

Now that we’re all tied up…

Round 4. Selflessness: Who puts their own personal desires on the shelf the most?

A sign of a great man, wizard or no, is selflessness – can he put aside his own, personal desires and do what is right, even when it’s hard and there may be no glory in it for him?

Gandalf must be selfless.  In a way, the fate of Middle Earth rests on what Gandalf decides to do.  The ring tempts him but knowing that it would end very badly for all if he took it, he refuses.  Rather than just hopping in his wagon and traveling through the fire setting off fireworks and smoking his pipe, Gandalf joins the Fellowship on a quest that he knows will be hard and he may well lose his life.  Indeed, Gandalf pays the ultimate sacrifice in the mines of Moria – he sacrifices his life to save the others from the Balrog. 

Dumbledore must be selfless.  In a way, the wizarding world rests on what Dumbledore decides to do.  He could easily have been like Prime Minister Fudge and buried his head in the sand.  Life would have certainly been easier for him.  He would have never had to watch people suffer and struggle.  He wouldn’t have been slowly dying from the ring with the Horcrux in it.  He wouldn’t have had to torture himself by drinking the potion in the cave to get to the Horcrux.  He wouldn’t have had to ask a close friend to kill him.  But Dumbledore was brave, thought of others first, and sacrificed his life.

Merlin must be selfless.  The fate of Arthur, the kingdom of Camelot, and the land of Albion rests on his young shoulders.  Merlin must make difficult choices every day.  Sometimes Merlin must choose between what is right and what his destiny is said to be – because sometimes they are at odds with one another.  Sometimes Merlin holds the power of life or death of a truly despicable person in his hands and he alone knows it.  Sometimes Merlin must choose to illuminate the truth even when it will have dire consequences – but he does because that is what’s right.  Sometimes Merlin must let die someone he loves because it must be that way.  To keep secret that he has magic, Merlin must allow all others except Gaius and Lancelot to think him clumsy, stupid, and fairly worthless.  Merlin never takes credit for what he’s done – usually he finds a way to give Arthur the glory for anything done well.  Not that Merlin wouldn’t like some recognition – indeed, he struggles with it at times.  However, he never does bring to light his triumphs because ultimately in his heart, he does all that he does simply because he knows that it is right and that it must be done.  Merlin lays his life down readily many times not only for individual people that he loves but also for the good of the country.  He does not ever actually have to die but he does come pretty close – believing that he will.

These three are all selfless and two did have to give their life, in the end.  If I’m to choose who is the most selfless, I would have to say: Merlin – because he lived his life always in the shadow of another.  The most powerful man in the land and everyday he chose to be the bumbling, stupid servant of the king.  He was ready to sacrifice his life at a moment’s notice for the country, for his friends, and for his king.

Gandalf: 1     Dumbledore: 1         Merlin: 2

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you our winner, the greatest wizard of the three:

Please feel free to give me your supporting or opposing viewpoints :-)