You Again

I’ve come to like Kristen Bell in the last few years, especially after I started watching Veronica Mars.  I was interested in her new movie, You Again, after seeing previews and seeing who else is in the movie.

Marni was the target of a bully in high school that made her life miserable.  After high school, Marni made some changes and how has a successful career.  She is horrified when she learns that her older brother is marrying Joanna, the girl who bullied her in high school.  It gets worse when Joanna acts like she doesn’t know Marni.  Convinced that Joanna is wrong for her brother, Marni decides to try to stop the wedding.  Marni’s mother Gail and Joanna’s aunt Ramona went to high school together, but they haven’t seen each other in years.  It seems they have lingering issues as well.

I managed to enjoy You Again overall, though it isn’t going to appeal to everyone.  Some people will be turned off by the fact that the movie deals with bullying.  Some flashbacks are used to show what happened when Marni was in high school and some of those scenes aren’t that pleasant.  Joanna was downright cruel, which unfortunately, I think is fairly accurate with how some teenagers act.  The movie chooses to deal with the serious subject of bullying in a more humorous and lighthearted way.  That may bother some people, especially with the real life bullying incidents that have happened recently.

You Again ends up having the female characters act like unreasonable idiots with how they deal with things.  It makes sense that Marni isn’t happy about her brother marrying Joanna or the fact that Joanna acts like she doesn’t remember her.  The way that Marni chooses to deal with that makes her look like a manipulative witch.  Joanna handles things badly, deciding to make little digs to try to put Marni down instead of dealing with things like an adult.  Gail and Ramona don’t deal with their issues any better, ending up in a fight that puts them both in a swimming pool.  Instead of trying to deal with problems, the woman act like jealous idiots.  The men, even though they are in much less of the movie, are made to look like the only calm, rational people around.  At one point, Marni’s father actually sends her and her mother to their rooms.  The movie does not portray women in a good way, and that is bound to upset some people.

Even though the women act like idiots, they still manage to be entertaining.  Their antics do add some humor to You Again.  Much of the humor is more silly in nature, but I do think it manages to work overall.  There are a few really funny moments in the movie, though other things that are intended to be funny don’t really work.  The plot isn’t the most original since other movies have featured characters that have been miserable in high school.  Having Marni’s tormentor marry her brother is a bit different, but the movie is still very predictable overall.

There really isn’t much development for any of the characters in You Again.  The characters are interesting enough, though it is a bit hard to like many of them.  I did think the cast did a good job with what they had to work with.

Overall, You Again has issues, but it can be entertaining overall if it isn’t taken seriously.  Fans of the cast may find something to like about the movie.

I did get a longer review posted on Epinions.

You Again

You Again

Associated Content

I first heard about Associated Content, a website where people can post articles or reviews about all sorts of things, several years ago.  I did look at the site a bit at that point, but I didn’t join.  I’ve thought about joining off and on over the years.  As part of my effort to expand my writing a bit, I finally decided to go ahead and join Associated Content at the end of September.

I write as Marie Dragonfire as Associated Content.  I am still getting started there, so I only have three articles published at this point, with another waiting to be published.  I had hoped to have more published there by now, but an illness in my family did cut into the time I had for writing this month.  I do have ideas for more things to write about there and I want to get to where I post several new articles there a week.  I’ll probably have to work up to that, especially since I’ll be getting busier in the next several months, but that is my plan.

So far I have posted articles about a few television shows on Associated Content.  I think I will continue to do that.  I like that I can post about individual episodes or the show in general there.  I also want to try to post other entertainment type articles, probably with movies since that is what I am most comfortable writing about.  I may branch out into other things every so often, though I haven’t decided what just yet.  From what I have seen there so far, it does look like it is possible to write on just about anything there which is nice. 

Even though I have decided to join Associated Content and I hope to publish new content there regularly, I am still a member of Epinions - dragonfire88 - and have no plans to stop posting reviews there. 

Feel free to visit my Associated Content page or Epinions page.

Marie Dragonfire at Associated Content
dragonfire88 at Epinions

Naked Heat by Richard Castle

Naked Heat is the second book by Richard Castle featuring the character of Nikki Heat.  This book, along with Heat Wave, are a bit unique because they are closely tied to the tv show Castle.  Richard Castle is actually one of the main characters on the show.  After meeting detective Kate Beckett during an investigation, Rick decides to base a new character on her and gets to tag along on her cases.  So far in the show and real life, two books have been released.

The main characters in Naked Heat and Heat Wave are definitely versions of the characters in Castle and some of the situations from the books have been pulled from the episodes of the show as well.  I love that aspect of the book and think it makes it more entertaining.

Naked Heat picks up a few months after the first book ended.  Nikki and Jameson Rook, the reporter who followed her around to write an article, haven’t seen each other in a while.  Nikki is less than pleased with the article and that is why she ends the relationship they had started.  Nikki starts investigating the murder of a gossip columnist and Jameson is involved because he was working on an article about her.  Jameson convinces Nikki to let him work with her again.  While working on the case, they also deal with their issues.

The main focus of Naked Heat is the murder investigation.  The mystery in the book is interesting even though it could be a tad stronger.  There is a bit of suspense in some scenes and while a few things that happen are predictable, there are surprises as well.  Since the victim isn’t that well liked, there are a lot of suspects at first.  The case ends up a bit more complicated as more things happen. 

Nikki and Jameson are the main characters in Naked Heat.  They are clearly versions of Kate and Rick from Castle.  They are likable, interesting characters and I really enjoy reading about them.  Some of the other characters have also been based on characters from the show.  There isn’t a version of Alexis though.  Several other minor characters turn up over the course of the book through the investigation. 

Naked Heat is a very entertaining book that is worth reading, especially for fans of Castle. 

I did get a longer review posted on Epinions.

Naked Heat

Castle - The Complete Second Season

I started watching Castle in the spring of 2009 when the show began airing.  I was quickly hooked on the show and continue to watch it.  I have the first season on DVD and I picked up Castle - The Complete Second Season when it was released.

Castle is an hour long show that airs on ABC.  It is about an author, Richard Castle, who ends up tagging along with homicide detective Kate Beckett.  They first meet when someone starts killing in ways that Rick used in his different books.  Once the case is solved, Rick manages to arrange things so that he can keep going along with Kate and he intends to base a new character, police detective Nikki Heat, on her.  Kate is really annoyed, but they end up working well together.

When Castle - The Complete Second Season  starts, Rick’s book Heat Wave is about to be released.  The book actually did come out in September of 2009.  Kate is really upset with Rick during the first episode of the season, but she gets over it and they continue working together.  Every episode features a different case that Kate investigates.  Many of the murders are somewhat bizarre or twisted, like a person dressed as a vampire being stabbed with a wooden stake.  The murders do add some mystery to the show, though the mysteries aren’t overly complex.  They are highly entertaining.  Some violence turns up every so often, but it generally isn’t that graphic.  Humor is used in every episode, usually through something that Rick says or does.  I think the humor works to make things more entertaining. 

The main characters remain the same in Castle - The Complete Second Season.  The characters are definitely one of the strong points for the show and one of the reasons why it is so entertaining.  I especially love Rick’s daughter Alexis and his mother Martha.  Alexis is delightful and it is so nice to seen a teenager in a series that isn’t a brat or highly annoying.  The cast is wonderful, especially Nathan Fillion.  I started watching the show just because of him since I adored him on Firefly.  There are a few little references to Firefly during the second season.  The best one is during the Halloween episode when Rick is trying out a costume he claims is a space cowboy.  It is Mal’s outfit.

Castle - The Complete Second Season has a few interesting extras, including a blooper reel that is pretty funny.  The DVD set is great for fans of the show.

I did get a longer review posted on Epinions.

Castle - The Complete Second Season

Mork & Mindy - The Complete Third Season

Mork & Mindy is one of my favorite shows even though it has been off the air for years.  Unfortunately, the episodes don’t air on any stations and the final season still hasn’t been released on DVD.  I do have the first three seasons on DVD.  I recently watched the episodes in Mork & Mindy - The Complete Third Season.

Mork & Mindy is basically about an alien named Mork from the planet Ork.  He comes to earth to observe and makes friends with Mindy and ends up living with her.  Most of what happens in the episodes is tied to Mork learning something new about humans.  He knows more by the third season, but he still has a lot to learn. 

The fact that Mork still ends up in some rather odd situations is a big part of what makes Mork & Mindy so entertaining.  The show is hilarious and I think the humor has held up well.  I was laughing out loud during every episode when I watched this set.  Most of the humor comes from the odd things that Mork does.  This show is what really launched Robin Williams’s career.  I’ve read before that he was allowed to improvise a lot of stuff and I noticed things in almost every episode that he probably did improvise.  That works really well for the episodes and helps to make things more entertaining.

The cast changes slightly in the third season of Mork & Mindy again.  Mindy’s dad is bad more often, which I think is a good thing.  I missed him when he wasn’t around more in the second season.  Remo and Jeanie aren’t around as much, but that doesn’t bother me since they weren’t my favorite characters anyway. 

Mork & Mindy - The Complete Third Season doesn’t have any extras, which is disappointing. Despite that, the DVD set is still a must own for fans of the show.  I just wish the fourth and final season would be released.

I did get a longer review posted on Epinions.

Mork & Mindy - The Complete Third Season

The Town

I recently went to see The Town, the newest movie directed by Ben Affleck.  I really enjoyed it and do think it is one of the best movies of the year.  It is definitely worth watching.

The plot for The Town may not be the most original overall, but there are surprises here and there throughout it.  Several things happen that I didn’t expect, so I don’t think the movie is predictable at all.  The plot is interesting and ends up making for a highly entertaining movie about a group of men in a Boston neighborhood who rob banks and armored cars.  Things do get a little complicated as the movie progress.

There is a good amount of action to what happens in The Town that includes a few very well done chases.  The action scenes are done well and help to keep things interesting.  Violence does turn up in a few scenes, and some of the violence does get more graphic.  The violence might be too much for some people.  A bit of romance is added in as well through a developing relationship between two of the characters.  There are a few brief sex scenes that don’t really show much.  This isn’t a family friendly movie.

The Town is the second movie that Ben Affleck has directed.  He did a wonderful job, just like he did with Gone Baby Gone.  I think he should have a long career ahead of his as a director.  I really do believe that if he keeps making movies this good, he’ll get a best director Oscar someday.  In addition to directing, Affleck also wrote the screen play and stars in the movie.  He has gotten a lot of flack over the years for some of the movies he’s been in, but I think he has started turning that around with the roles he’s had in the last few years.  He does very well in this one.

The Town is based on the book The Prince of Thieves.  I haven’t read it, so I don’t know how close to the book the movie stays.

The Town truly is one of the best movies I’ve seen this year.  It is definitely worth seeing.  I am pretty sure that I’ll eventually add it to my movie collection.

I did get a longer review posted on Epinions.

The Town

The Big Bang Theory - The Complete Third Season

The Big Bang Theory has been one of my favorite shows since it began airing.  I was quickly hooked on it and I’ve picked up the DVD sets as they have been released.  I pre-ordered The Big Bang Theory - The Complete Third Season and I watched all the episodes in just a few days even though I’d already seen them a few times. 

The Big Bang Theory is my favorite show on now and I think it is the funniest show on as well.  I enjoy other comedies, but none are as consistently funny and entertaining as The Big Bang Theory.  Yes some of what happens is rather bizarre, but I think it works for the show and helps make things more entertaining.  Every episode makes me laugh numerous times.

The Big Bang Theory is about a group of friends, four of which are intelligent scientists and nerds.  The fifth friend is Penny, the pretty waitress living across the hall from Leonard and Sheldon.  The guys have set times to play certain video games and go to the comic book store.  They can have long conversations about movies and movie characters.  Science stuff comes up at times as well.  It sounds believable, but I have no clue how accurate it is. 

The characters are the strongest part of The Big Bang Theory.  They are all different and have their own little quirks.  That helps to make things really entertaining.  The cast is wonderful in the parts.

The Big Bang Theory - The Complete Third Season has a funny gag reel and two other extras featuring cast members that are interesting.  The DVD set is a must own for fans of the show.

I did get a longer review posted on Epinions.

The Big Bang Theory - The Complete Third Season

Nanny McPhee Returns

Since I really enjoyed Nanny McPhee when it came out a few years ago, I was interested in seeing the sequel, Nanny McPhee Returns.

The plot for Nanny McPhee Returns is a lot like the plot of the first movie.  Things don’t seem as original, but the movie is still entertaining overall.  I do think it is worth watching.  Even with the similarities to the first movie, there are differences, so it isn’t like this movie is a carbon copy of the first one.  There is another single parent having to deal with children that are a bit out of control and Nanny McPhee shows up to help.  The situations that the characters get into are a bit different.

The humor is more gross and crude in Nanny McPhee Returns, something I could have done without.  Children will probably like that type of humor.  I did think the movie was funny overall, though some of what happens is more silly.  There is a bit of magic to what is going on, something else that I enjoyed.  The movie is set during a war, and things do get a bit darker for a while.  A few serious things are dealt with, though the movie is more light hearted overall. 

The characters of the children are harder to like for a while because of how they are acting.  They do become a little more likable as the movie progresses.  Nanny McPhee is the best character and I love Emma Thompson in the part. 

Nanny McPhee Returns was released in the spring of 2010 in England as Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang.  I have read that Thompson, who wrote the screenplays for both movies, plans a third movie with the character.

Nanny McPhee Returns isn’t quite as good as the first movie, but it is still entertaining overall and is worth seeing.

I did post a longer review on Epinions after seeing the movie in the theater.

Nanny McPhee Returns

Veronica Mars - The Complete Second Season

I first heard about the television series Veronica Mars several years ago when it was still airing. I didn’t pay much attention to what I heard about the show at that point and I didn’t watch at that time. Since then, I’ve read and heard more about the show and I decided to pick up the DVD sets when I found them on sale. I recently finished watching Veronica Mars - The Complete Second Season.

The second season of Veronica Mars picks up a little while after the end of the first one. Some things from the first season do carry over into this season, so it is best to watch the episodes in order.

Once again, Veronica deals with several mysteries in these episodes. Some are rather simple and easy for her to resolve and others are more complex.  Just about all of them are entertaining in some way. There is one that runs through the entire season and is dealt with in some way in several of the episodes. That is resolved by the last episode in the set.

The same main group of characters in back. The characters are more complex and all of them have flaws. That makes them more believable, but it is also harder to like some of them at times, including Veronica.  I continue to think that Kristen Bell does a good job with the part.

There are only a few extras on the DVD set. Despite that, I still think the set is worth getting, especially for fans of the show. The second season is very entertaining and definitely worth watching for people who liked the first season.

I did get a longer review posted on Epinions.

Veronica Mars - The Complete Second Season

The American

I like George Clooney, so I’m usually willing to give his movies a chance.  I’ve seen many of them and have enjoyed most of them.  I decided that I wanted to see The American, mostly because Clooney is in it.

I did enjoy the movie and think it works as a thriller, it is different from what I expected based on the trailers.  Once again, the trailers for the movie made it seem like a completely different movie.  Even though it was different from what I expected, I still enjoyed it and think it is a well done movie worth seeing.  It probably won’t appeal to some people though, especially people expecting a movie with more action. 

Things progress slowly through most of the movie.  That allows some tension to build, and while it works, some won’t like the slower approach.  There is a bit of action in some scenes, but the movie is far from action packed, something else that could disappoint some viewers.  The plot is fairly simple, but it is interesting and entertaining.  George Clooney ends up with the most to do since his character is in almost every scene.  This is one of his better performances.  The other cast members do well with their parts too.

The American is based on a book called A Very Private Gentleman.  I haven't read the book, so I have no clue what has been changed for the movie.

Overall, I really enjoyed The American and think it is worth seeing, especially for George Clooney fans.  People just need to be prepared for the fact that isn’t an action packed movie.

I did get a review posted on Epinions after seeing the movie in the theater.

The American

Summer Movies 2010 - July and August

I am continuing to talk briefly about the movies I saw in the theater during the summer of 2010.  This post is about the movies released in July and August that I saw in the theater.

The Last Airbender is based on an animated series that I’ve never seen.  Things do develop a bit slowly, though a lot of what happens is setting up things for more movies.  I enjoyed this one enough to see more of them, though I have no idea if they will made or not since this one didn’t do that great at the box office.  The character development isn’t that great, something that is disappointing.  There are interesting action scenes and some cool looking effects.

The Sorcerer’s Apprentice is a really fun movie that I loved.  Unfortunately, it didn’t do that good at the box office.  The plot is very entertaining and interesting, and I do think things are left open for a potential sequel..or even a movie franchise.  I have no idea if that will happen though.  I loved all the magic stuff and think the effects are done well, with several of them looking cool.  The characters are interesting even though they could have been developed a bit more.  This is one I definitely plan to add to my movie collection.

Inception is the most original movie I have seen in ages.  It is different, and while I think that is part of what makes it such a wonderful movie, some people aren’t going to like it.  The plot seems simple at first, but things get more complex and things are left in a way that allows the audience to decide for themselves something very important.  The cast is wonderful and the characters are complex and highly interesting.  There are some amazing visuals in the movie, but the movie is dependent on special effects.  Christopher Nolan is an amazing director.  The man is a genius and definitely one of the best directors working.

Salt is a decent action movie staring Angelina Jolie.  The plot is interesting and developed enough, though there are a few things that don’t work as well.  The action scenes are done really well, but a few things go over the top and make things less believable.  The characters are interesting, though there isn’t enough development for most of them.  Fans of Jolie should give this one a chance.

I wasn’t sure about seeing Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore, but I’m glad I did.  The best thing about it for me is that there was a new Loony Tunes cartoon before the movie.  I love Loony Tunes, so that made it worth seeing the movie for me.  I saw the first Cats & Dogs and liked it ok, though it wasn’t a favorite.  With this one, there is more focus on the animals and humans don’t do much.  Most of what happens is silly, but the movie ends up being pretty entertaining overall. 

The Other Guys looked like it would be funny, so I wanted to see it even though Will Ferrell can be annoying sometimes.  He was more restrained in this one, though he still has a few annoying moments.  Overall the movie is really funny and definitely worth seeing.  The plot is fairly simple, but it works.  Mark Wahlberg does a great job and show that he can do comedy.

The Expendables is a very entertaining action movie.  Sylvester Stallone is getting a little old for this type of movie, but he still manages to make it work.  The plot isn’t overly complicated and it makes an entertaining movie.  The action is intense at times, especially later in the movie.  Some of it is over the top, but it is cool to see.  The cast works really well together too. 

Summer Movies 2010 - June

I am continuing to discuss the movies I saw over the summer of 2010 briefly.  This post will cover the movies that were released in June.

Killers is a bit different from what I expected, but I managed to enjoy it overall.  I was hesitant about seeing it because of Katherine Heigl - I just don’t like her that much.  I decided to see it anyway.  I was entertained overall, but the movie does have issues with the plot and characters.  Fans of Heigl or Ashton Kutcher may find something to like about it.

The A-Team is based on the popular television show that aired in the 1980s.  I watched the show all the time.  The show was over the top, but it worked was entertaining.  I was a little surprised that this movie didn’t do better.  I loved it.  It was a fun action comedy type of movie.  The cast is great in their parts and the plot is entertaining while also serving as basically a origin story, telling how the group came to do what they were doing.  I would definitely go see another movie, though I don’t know that one will be made.

Toy Story 3 is one of the rare sequels that Pixar has made.  It is also a third movie that is just as good as the first - something that is incredibly rare.  It was one of the most anticipated movies of the summer and ended up being one of the biggest.  The plot continues the story that began in the first movie and the characters have new adventures.  I think the movie stays true to the first movies and what has been established about the characters really well.  The animation is absolutely amazing and the 3D effects work to enhance things in a subtle way.  The movie is fun, touching, and highly emotional.  Animated plastic toys have more heart and produce more emotion than most human characters.  Yes, the movie made me cry.  The movie is absolutely wonderful and definitely one of the best of the year.  The animated short, Day & Night, that plays before the movie is one of the most creative that Pixar has done.

Marmaduke is another of the movies featuring real animals made to look like they are talking.  This one really wasn’t one I was that interested in seeing, but I saw it anyway.  There are a few cute moments, but it isn’t that great and I don’t think I would have missed much if I had skipped the movie.  There is some humor, but most of it didn’t work for me.  Children will probably enjoy the movie more than I did.

The Karate Kid is sort of a remake, though several things about the story are different from the earlier version.  The name doesn’t exactly fit since kung fu is used instead of karate.  The story, while not overly original, is very entertaining.  There is a decent amount of action to what is happening.  Jaden Smith does a really good job in the movie and I wouldn’t be at all surprised if he has a long acting career.  I haven’t seen all of Jackie Chan’s movies, but this is probably the best acting I’ve seen from him.  The movie is definitely worth seeing.

Knight and Day looked better from the previews than it ultimately ended up being.  It is an entertaining movie, but it could have been a lot better.  The plot is interesting and mostly fun, though it didn’t seem to be as developed as it could have been.  The action scenes are entertaining, though some of them go way over the top.  This one was only ok for me.

Summer Movies 2010 - May

Summer tends to be packed with a lot of movie releases, including several that the studios hope will make buckets of money.  At times, there are too many movies being released at the same time to have any chance of keeping up with, and summer seems to be the worst for this.  The summer of 2010 wasn’t any different.  There were a lot of big movies released.  Some of them lived up to expectations or even passed them while others didn’t do as well.

At any given time there are usually a few movies out that I’m interested in seeing.  The summer has had more movies that I’ve been interested in the last few years.  I managed to see several of the summer movies I was interested in, though there are some that I’ll have to wait for DVD to see. 

I have decided to share a little bit about the movies of summer 2010, starting with May, that I was able to see in the theater.  I have posted longer reviews for these movies at Epinions and I will include the links.

Iron Man 2 came out the first Friday in May and it was expected to be one of the big movies.  I loved Iron Man and had been looking forward to the sequel for a while.  This one isn’t quite as good as the first movie, but it is still very entertaining and definitely worth seeing.  The movie also continues to add to the foundation that Marvel is laying for future movies.

The Losers is based on a graphic novel series that I had never heard of.  I was interested when I first saw a trailer and ended up going to see it.  The movie is very entertaining and I think I will probably add it to my movie collection at some point.  The plot and character development could have been a bit better, but it is still very entertaining and worth watching for a fun action movie.  I do think it is sort of like The A-Team, so it isn’t the most original.

The Backup Plan is a romantic comedy starring Jennifer Lopez, which is probably enough to turn a lot of people off.  The plot is a little different, with a woman falling in love after deciding to have a baby through artificial insemination.  The movie is very predictable and silly overall, though it is fairly funny at times.  Some of what happens is gross and didn’t need to be included.  The movie is entertaining, though not a must see.

Shrek Forever After is the fourth movie in the Shrek series.  While I have enjoyed the previous movies, I didn’t think they were as great as a lot of other people.  I do think this one was better than the third one, though the plot was far from original.  Several things were very much like what happened in the earlier movies.  I did see this one in 3D.  An early image was really well done, and one of the best uses of 3D I’ve seen.  The movie is cute and entertaining overall and I’ll probably add it to my movie collection.

Robin Hood (2010) is very different from every other version of the story I’ve seen, including the animated Disney version.  A few elements are still the same, but a lot is different.  The movie is entertaining, but with all the differences, it seems odd to call it Robin Hood. 

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is another movie based on a video game.  I’ve never played any of the Prince of Persia game.  I’m not even sure how many there are, though I have heard of them.  I think the movie works as a fun, entertaining action movie.  The plot works well and helps to make things entertaining.  I could have done without the snakes that kept popping up though.

I've Gone High Def

I watch a lot of stuff on television and also watch a lot of movies on DVD.  I don’t know a lot about the newer televisions, but I did know that I eventually wanted one, especially after my mother and step-father got an LCD television a few years ago and I had the chance to watch things on it. 

I started looking at the televisions more in the spring of this year.  Even though I didn’t know - and still don’t know - a lot about the televisions, I knew that I wanted to get a 1080p one if I was going to spend the money on one.  I kept looking and I ended up getting a Vizio 32 inch LCD television.  I didn’t need a new television, but since I had the extra money at the time, I decided to splurge.  I also decided to get a Blu-ray player, something else I didn’t really need, but I had been wanting. 

I’ve had the new television and Blu-ray player for several months and I’m very happy with them.  Everything looks wonderful on the television.  I’m still amazed at times how good things look.  I do watch DVDs with the Blu-ray player, but I have started getting some Blu-rays.  Some older DVDs that I’ve watched look better played on the Blu-ray player.  I have picked up a few movies on Blu-ray that I already had on DVD, and so far, I’ve been happy with the ones I’ve doubled dipped on.  North by Northwest is absolutely amazing on Blu-ray.  That is a must own Blu-ray for fans of the movie.

I do think getting a high definition television and Blu-ray player is well worth it for people who love movies.