Disappointing Decepticons and Sobering Saudi Representations

I haven't played many games lately besides a quick visit to the World of Goo, the land of Peggle, and the rollin' landscape of Rock Band. I need to finish Fallout already, don't I?

A couple more movies I wanted to see eventually can now be marked off my list in the meantime. I finally watched Transformers against my better judgment. I had heard it wasn't that good and worth seeing as much as the last Indiana Jones movie, whatever it was called. Maybe it was because I had such low hopes going in, but I thought it was cool. I saw robots turn into vehicles and lots of explosions and general destruction. If anyone was wanting a great Transformers story: really? It's a cartoon turned toys turned animated movie turned worse toys turned movie. I don't expect G.I. Joe to vary from that formula. But where's my live-action Thundercats?

On to an actual great film: The Kingdom. It's another war-torn, Middle East relations film, and I didn't know what to expect. It was a fast ride with little-to-no slow bits. The dialogue was quick but not too confusing, although camera cues and acting generally keep you from guessing if the language was lost. What separates this movie from others is the equal points of view portrayed. There are people angry, grieving, and scared on all sides of the conflict, and it's handled with more tact than most. I liked this and The Rundown, but have yet to see Peter Berg's Hancock. I'm a little more optimistic about that one now.

-- "Does he know where Bin Laden is? That would be a huge promotion for me."