Double Feature

Saturday, I had the good fortune of going to see two movies. Coincidentally, they were both at the same movie theater.

In the afternoon, a couple of neighbors and I took all of our kids to see Race to Witch Mountain. My daughter and I had just read the book, Escape to Witch Mountain in preparation for the movie. I remember seeing the original Disney movie years and years and years ago. One of the lines I remember loving and repeating with my friend, Trisha, over and over again was, "Don't energize unless you absolutely have to." Neither the book I read nor the re-make had the line in there. I'm still on a search to find out when and why the characters said it in the original movie.

Anyway, Race to Witch Mountain did not bear much resemblance to the book. There were about 3 similarities:

• Both had a brother and sister from another planet
• The brother and sister could make objects move without touching them
• The brother and sister were being chased by the government.

The names didn't even match! And yet, the movie was fine. Not great, just fine. A perfect Saturday afternoon time killer. Some lines were funny and Dwayne "the Rock" Johnson did a good job delivering them. He, of course, had to have a lady love and she was played by Carla Guigno. She did a fine job as well. The villain (a government agent) whose name I can't remember, did a good job being sinister and bumbling at the same time. A pre-requisite for children's movies.

The second movie I saw also had Carla Guigno in it; The Watchmen. Brian really wanted to see the movie and suggested I read the book; I haven't quite finished it yet, it's very dense. But on Saturday night, my kids were invited to sleep over at the neighbors'. We couldn't waste an opportunity like this one!

It's every parent's lament: By the time you pay for the movie, and the sitter, and perhaps a beer after...

So we watched The Watchmen, answering that ubiquitous question (in the film anyway): Who watches The Watchmen?

It was not as good as the book. Not even close. I felt it was too reverent a film for such an irreverent text. Plus, the film could not capture the many layers inherent in the novel. It's no wonder that Alan Moore took his name off the movie stating that his graphic novel was, "unfilmable." Perhaps next time, Hollywood will listen to the author.

But hey, a so-so day at the movies beats....well, just about everything else.