Double feature

We decided to grab a couple of family-friendly flicks for the evening, and diving right in, we started off with Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa. The kids had pretty solid enjoyment, and really here, that's what it's all about, but overall I found it largely forgettable.

It has some funny moments here and there, but my impression was of a sequel made to cash in on the good will of the first movie. The basic plot was sketched out on a napkin and didn't get too much deeper from there.

So, if you have children, it's probably worth renting. If you're a kid in an adult's body (like myself), you're not missing anything too exciting here.

Where Madagascar 2 as a family movie had laughs for the kids, City of Ember didn't have laughs for anybody. This is a decidedly more serious movie and it does a pretty fair job of ratcheting up the tension as well.

The movie is based on a young adults book of the same name by Jeanne Duprau. The plot synopsis is, the Builders create a self-sustaining underground city in which humanity can continue to survive what is referenced as the "end of the world." They seal instructions to leave the city at a much later date into a time capsule which is to be passed from mayor to mayor for the next 200 years, at which point it'll open, revealing the method by which the inhabitants can find their way to the surface. It's a flawless plan that hits a snag when one of the mayors croaks in an untimely fashion and the time capsule is misplaced and forgotten about. As a result, the community we walk into is Ember going on some 250 years or so, beyond original design specs and taxing food supplies, power supplies, and other infrastructure. Will our young heroes piece together the pieces of the puzzle to save the people of Ember?!

It's a decent movie, and it was worth a rental, though I'm not disappointed I didn't see it in theaters. The CGI is pretty cheezy in a few spots which is quite noticeable in this day and age, but otherwise the filming, the setting, and the mood were very well done. It really conveys the feeling of a people who aren't just in denial about their predicament, but who genuinely aren't sure what to do anyway. The one thing I found lacking was some additional detail which I hope will be provided in the book (I'll have to give that a read). I have no idea if I'll find answers there or not, but generally books tend to do one better than their corresponding movies.

At any rate, it's not a bad family flick and it's relatively kid-safe, though there are some moments of peril. If in doubt, screen it first.

Bad (book about) Science

I gave Bad Science by Ben Goldacre the old college try. I wanted to like this book, as the promise is quite interesting. That is, the discussion of the myriad of bad surveys and data used to sell untold amounts of goods to the consumer public. The inner secrets of the data behind miracle weight-loss pills, exercise gadgets that promise fabulous results, and homeopathic remedy effectiveness all laid bare, their sciencey underpinnings meticulously analyzed so that we, the reader, can learn to see through their tricks and ask the right questions to become better and more informed consumers.

It sounds great. I made it a few chapters in and just couldn't bring myself to finish.

The problem for me was the tone the author set. It's not enough to discuss the pseudo-science behind a lot of these ideas. The author seemingly had bought into his own awesomeness, and the writing reflects it. Every example read as "wow, would you get a load of these idiots." I found this negative tone rather unappealing, and wish he could've just stuck to the science. Others seem to have liked it though, your mileage may vary.