Ten days. Two movies, a messabout, a conversational meal, and general carrying on.

“Now You See Me 2” is about half the movie its predecessor was, and the predecessor wasn’t that great in the first place. This movie assumes that the audience is REALLY familiar with the earlier film, as in, “Watched it in the last week in preparation” familiar. I understand that audiences don’t like infodumps, but audiences like repeatedly wondering what is going on even less. The one bright spot was the addition of the ever-entertaining Lizzy Caplan to make up for the departure of Isla Fisher. I like Fisher a great deal, but I like Caplan better in pretty much any case.

“Warcraft: The Beginning” is a first rate fantasy movie, and also a paradox. If it weren’t for the video game, this movie would never have been made, but the very video game roots that made the movie possible also limit it. The movie strives (successfully) to be faithful to the visual style of the game, but that same distinctive visual style adds an aura of unreality that hampers the audience’s ability to suspend its disbelief. Yes, the plot is busy and convoluted, and relies heavily on cliche and stereotype of get its story told, but in the end, the story DOES get told. And anytime a story about courage and honor and loyalty and friendship gets told well, we all win.

Went down to Rend Lake over the weekend for the annual Michalak Messabout, did about five miles in the canoe, and swapped lies around a campfire. Good times.

Got together with pseudo-nephew Paul G. for a conversational meal on Wednesday night, and usual madness transpired. I am amused (if that is the word) that, though he is not quite half my age, he is more cynical about the fate of the planet than I am. (By the way: If you are reading this, I would love to have a conversation meal with you, too. Contact me; we’ll work something out.)

Uncle Hyena