by Trish Milburn
We're all writers here at the Romance Bandits, and we love good stories -- whether in book, TV or movie form. But there are a few of us who really like stories with some boom too. That is, stuff that blows up, goes kablooey -- you know, boom. So we thought we might share some of our favorite recent "boom" entertainment
I saw lots of boom, but the movie that I can't get out of my head is Avatar. It spoke to me on so many levels -- the love story between Jake and Neytiri (rising stars Sam Worthington and Zoe Saldana), the message about taking care of our planet and respecting people who are different from us, finding something that is worth fighting for. But in addition to those aspects of the story, there's some serious boom in this movie, particularly when Col. Quaritch makes his big move on the Na'vi, the indigenous people of Pandora, who happen to live atop a valuable deposit of the mineral unobtanium. Quaritch pulls out all the stops and throws all the firepower he has at his disposal at this people who do not have "boom" on their side. The soundtrack for Avatar, which I've played over and over, has lots of great James Horner music to go along with the boom, particularly the tracks "Quaritch" and "War."
Zoe Saldana also starred in Bandita Nancy's boom contribution. In Nancy's words...
My favorite “boom” movie of 2009 was, far and away, hands down, and every other emphatic expression possible, Star Trek. I’ll concede that the plot didn’t always make the most sense. No, the time ship coming through as Kirk was being born and then never being seen or heard of again for 20 years didn’t make sense. I really didn’t care as I watched the movie, which means this little problem doesn’t really bother me much now.
The opening, with George Kirk (played by the actor stepping into Thor’s giant boots) trying to save the ship and his wife and child, grabbed me right away. We saw it on Mother's Day, which might have influenced me, but I had the same reaction when I saw it again with the boy and his girlfriend later in the summer. As the story unrolled, the emotional intensity of the character development engaged me enough that I really didn’t wonder where the time ship was or, when it reappeared, what it had been doing in the interim.
The relationship between Kirk and Spock became Star Trek’s linchpin. Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto did a great job of building and then cementing that rapport on the screen, with help from an excellent supporting cast.
And plenty of stuff blew up. What’s not to love?
Bandita KJ finds her boom on the small screen...
Looking for boom on prime time? Check out NCIS, a fabulous show with plenty of firepower, bombs, and romantic sparks. Former marine sniper Jethro Gibbs leads a team of zany agents—including a lab tech who sleeps in a coffin, a female Mossad agent who misquotes American slang, a techno-geek, a brilliant but verbose medical examiner, and a movie-buff Italian hunk—who solve crimes in unique and fascinating ways. Not only does NCIS have a big boom factor, it offers viewers countless other positives. Laughter, for one. Tune in, or better yet, rent the show’s DVDs and start at the beginning. You won’t be disappointed!
For Bandita Jeanne, her boom came from Iron Man, a 2008 film...
Boom? You want boom? If so, my vote is for the one, the only, Iron Man. Nobody does boom like weapons maven Tony Stark. And really, no one could have played Tony Stark any better than Robert Downey Jr. Slightly seedy and just over the edge into debauched, Tony's the devil-may-care playboy who suddenly gets the ultimate wake-up call. No more suits, or steaks or even real food that doesn't have sand in it when he's nearly blown up in the desert, in the middle of a hot spot conflict zone. No more sycophantic sucking up when he's taken prisoner. He has to survive and he has to figure a way to get his illicitly sold tech out of the hands of a hitherto unknown enemy.
Once he does, losing his new mentor in the process, he not only has to live with that, he has to discover and defeat the enemy within his own company. All the while, he's decided to go back and clear out the crappy hell hole in which he was held captive.
Yep, you guessed it, it goes BOOM! Bwahahahahah! I loved this movie. It's witty and sharp, the dialogue and relationships are believable even though its a superhero movie. The almost-romance between Tony and Pepper Potts adds spice, and the boyish charm of the straight-as-an-arrow best friend, played by Terrence Howard, rounds out Tony's circle of friends and confidants. He's isolated himself, and he has to grow as a man and a human being through the course of the movie and it is done, brilliantly, by Robert Downey, Jr. He still has enough of the daredevil left to be believable, enough of the screw-this-we're-doing-it to let you know he's fundamentally himself, so it isn't a total, unbelievable makeover, which I appreciated.
Did I mention stuff went BOOM? My favorite. Did you see it? What was your favorite scene? And wasn't the music fabulous?
So, do you all like some boom in your movies and other entertainment? If so, what has been your favorite recent boom?
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79 comments:
BOOM! :)
Or maybe it's BWAAK! ;)
Anyway, I occasionally like some boom, but not too much! I AM glad that Chuck's back--that a bit of boom with a bunch of stuff that makes me laugh, which is just my cuppa :D
Hey, Fedora, that's a fairly explosive start to your day. Be kind to him. I kept rolling the cooking pot around in front of him and he was looking rather pale and wan when he left!
Hey, bulk banditas for our buck today! How cool is that?
Actually I'm thinking about a horrible but extremely catchy song from my youth that goes boom, boom, boom, please come back to my room and we can do it all night and you'll make me feel right.
And they say romance is dead!
I must admit all of this boom is outside my experience. Although I've got Star Trek and Iron Man on the video mailing queue (it's not Netflix but it's like Netflix). Heard great things about Avatar and NCIS. Always had a bit of a crush on Mark Hamill and I must say he's ageing very well!
Trish -
Loved, loved, loved Avatar - especially in 3D - that made the BOOM particularly impressive.
Just wanted to mention another recent movie with a boom factor (and Robert Downey, Jr.) - Sherlock Holmes. There's a scene where Watson sets off a trip wire and this huge building starts exploding right and left. Lots of firepower.
Congrats Fedora, on getting the rooster!
I do like some shows with some boom. I loved Star Trek, but I didn't think I would. I also watch NCIS every week, its an awesome show! Also watch the new NCIS but not so sure about this one yet!
I loved Avatar too, it was so great in 3D!
Congrats Fedora I say keep him working
Great post Ladies
Well I haven't seen Avatar yet but everyone tells me to get there and see it so I plan to soon I haven't seen Star Trek either although Hubby wants it on DVD I love NCIS and watch it all the time.
I did see Shelock Holmes and there was some boom in that movie and I loved it I really recomend that movie.
Have Fun
Helen
I do love good action (booming movies) with great music scores.
I haven't seem Avatar yet. Both my daughters have seen it in 3-D twice.
I might go see it at the I max this weekend.
I loved Star Trek but I wish there could have been a little more Scotty. Like you it took me watching it a couple of times to understand why the Romulan kept trying to catch Spock all through time.
Loved Robert Downey in Ironman. The music is awesome. I saw RD in Sherlock Holmes over Christmas. Lots of boom in that movie. I enjoyed that movie also.
Around my house NCIS is a must watch on Tuesday night and I am getting hooked on the NCIS LA. Abbey is my favorite character on NCIS.
Fedora, I'd be real careful saying "BOOM" around the GR. Remember, he's spent a lot of time with P226!
I haven't seen Avatar or been to any movies with BOOM lately. Love 24 and NCIS but then I'd watch anything with Mark Harmon in it. I've had a mad crush on him since his college football days.
Fedora, LOL on using "boom" to get the GR. :) I really need to watch Chuck. There was some reason I didn't start watching it initially, probably a conflict with something else, but I need to Netflix it. Especially since Adam Baldwin is on it. I've loved him since his Jayne Cobb days on Firefly -- speaking of boom.
LOL, Anna. I remember that song. Now there's "Boom, Boom, Pow" by the Black-Eyed Peas.
And I think you mean Mark Harmon, unless of course you like Luke Skywalker, too. :)
He is aging well, although it's still a shock sometimes to see him with a head of white hair. I remember seeing him on St. Elsewhere when I was in my early teens. And I was so mad when they killed him off The West Wing.
Donna -- yay, another Avatar devotee. I'm going to watch Sherlock Holmes on DVD when it comes out.
I do plan to go see another boom movie this month when I go to Texas to visit a friend (MJ, who blogged here a little while back). We're going to see Legion.
Virginia, all you NCIS fans have me itching to move it to the top of my Netflix queue. But I keep telling myself to watch a few movies first. It's taken me months to get through the seven seasons of Gilmore Girls. I think I have one disc left -- not that that show has any boom.
Eva, wasn't it great in 3-D? I've seen it twice -- once in regular 2-D and once in 3-D.
Helen, go! Go now! :)
gigi, I thought Simon Pegg was great as Scotty. I actually thought the casting was wonderful throughout. All the actors did a really good job of capturing a believable younger version of familiar characters. My personal favorite is Karl Urban as Bones, though Zachary Quinto as Spock and Chris Pine as Kirk were excellent too.
PJ, where did Mark Harmon play college ball?
And for you Iron Man fans, here's the trailer for Iron Man 2 -- coming in May! Listen for what Tony says to Pepper as he's jumping off the roof. I laughed out loud!
Trish, Mark Harmon was the starting quarterback at UCLA in 1972 and 1973. He followed in the footsteps of both of his parents. His dad was an All-American football player at University of Michigan and a Heisman Trophy winner. His mom was an actress and artist.
Fedora, "BOOM" to you, too. *g* Congrats on the rooster.
Trish, I haven't yet seen Avatar. The boy saw it with a bunch of his friends when it came out, and they all loved it. He and I both thought Sam Worthington (it really is a shame to make him blue) was the best part of T3, a film wherein lots of stuff blew up but surrounded by such poor character development that the boom didn't compensate.
I love NCIS. Lots of boom and humor. Star Trek had humor, too, but not as much. And David McCallum, for fans of UNCLE.
And we saw the trailer for Iron Man 2 when we went to Sherlock Holmes. Looks seriously excellent, with lots of boom. And Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury of SHIELD.
I think one reason I liked Iron Man was the character development. Iron Man was never one of my favorite super-heroes, and Downey isn't one of my favorite actors overall, but he was a great fit for Tony Stark (and Holmes).
Anna C.--both Mark Harmon AND Mark Hamill are aging pretty well, I think.
Your boom song sounds faintly disco-ish.
You must get these movies and watch them. Spock has plenty of emotional torture!
Donna, Holmes definitely had a boom factor. Lots of action in the movie. A bit too much voiceover, slo-mo analysis during fights for me, but plenty of boom.
Hi, Virginia--I keep missing NCIS/LA. It does look good, though.
Eva S., the boy saw Avatar in 2-D. Maybe he and I can see it in 3-D.
Helen, I got Star Trek on DVD at Christmas. It really is great. You and hubby should go for it!
Gigi, I agree with you on Scotty. Simon Pegg was great, and he made a big contribution to the humor in the film.
PJ, I discovered Mark Harmon in Reasonable Doubts with Marlee Matlin. He was fabulous in that.
Okay, Trish, your favorite in Trek is Karl Urban's portrayal of McCoy--but it's really Karl himself, isn't it? Eomer? *g*
Nancy, I do admit to being a fan of Karl Urban, but I still think he really did a good job of channeling Bones. When he first meets Kirk on the ship and is talking about space, I just cracked up.
Drew, I think JJ Abrams did a great job of making the new Trek appeal to both fans of the original and to new-to-Trek viewers. A difficult task, but one he pulled off.
I've not heard of Spooks, but I don't have BBC America either. Any of the shows from that (Hex, Robin Hood, etc.), I have to wait to get through Netflix.
And you're right -- X-Men Origins: Wolverine had some big-time boom in it.
I do like some boom. I loved Star Trek but haven't seen Avatar yet. My oldest son saw it and then my husband took my younger son to see it when I was working.
Trish, I have become addicted to NCIS. I had never seen it until I had to do an open house for a client during the evening and she turned it on. Now, whenever it's on I try to catch it. I love the plot lines in that show.
Christie, if you get the chance, I highly recommend seeing Avatar on the big screen. It's a big screen kind of movie.
I like to watch NCIS, sometimes "24".
You have to all understand, too, that I have a 9-year-old and Disney Channel is tuned in quite frequently at our house. Unless you count "Phineas and Ferb", there aren't a whole lot of BOOMs on our t.v. set.
I'm not into BOOM movies usually, but if DH wants to go, I'll go with him. Yet, he won't go to a chick flick with me; hmmm, no fair, right? :)
Trish, I agree that Karl Urban did a great job as McCoy, which is not a role I would've automatically thought of him for. He's so different from DeForrest Kelley.
Deb, I always had The Weather Channel on the remote so I could flip to it if I was watching something I didn't want the boy to see and heard him approaching. He was big on PBS shows and some Disney fare, too.
Congrats, Flchen1, love your "boom-boom!" Or Bwaak!
I'm with you. I do love some boom in my stories, but I don't like to get loaded down with any techo-babble or in-depth explanation. Keep it simple. I hate car, train, or people chases that go on and on. To me a good director or writer knows when and how to edit those scenes.
That said, I loved Star Trek, loved the budding relationships among the characters. I enjoyed Avatar, but thought it could've been edited down about 20-30 minutes.
Ouch, Trish, you're right. Definitely Harmon rather than Hamill! Snort! PJ, I didn't know he was an ex-football player!
Nancy, that song with the complex lyrics is DEFINITELY discoish although I've got a feeling it was out in the early 90s.
Hey Fedora! Way to go on nabbing the bird. Grins. I like Chuck too, and for the same reasons. This new season promises to be interesting. Grins.
Ohhhh, Anna, you said that bit about Mark Hamill - I think you meant Harmon - and I thought, ohhh yeah, he's aging well. Grins. Jethro Gibbs, NCIS Agent. Fab-u-lous. I'm totally with KJ on that one as a BOOM show. I have it DVR'd and watch it as soon as I can after the recording. Grins.
I like the new NCIS LA w/ LL Cool J who is gorgeous and muscular and slurpy, as well as eye-candy Chris ODonell. Niiiiice.
Donna, I totally want to see Sherlock Holmes, and mostly because RDJr did such a great job on Iron Man.
You have to understand, everyone, with young children getting out to the "latest" movie is challenging, which is why Iron Man is my fav movie from 2009. That's when I SAW it! Ha!
Oh, and Nancy already had dibs on Star Trek, which I did see. Grins.
Virginia, I wasn't sure about the LA NCIS either, but it's grown on me. It doesn't hurt that LL Cool J is so brooding and yummy, gotta say. :>
Hi Eva! Hi Helen! I so have to see Avatar. Everyone is raving over it. Hey, Trish and Nancy said go see it, so on their recommendation I would anyway, but wow, the trailers are superb!
Hey Gigi! Abby's my fav character too. But I have to confess I like them all. Ducky makes me laugh with his odd facts. McGee with his side career as a writer. Tony with all the movie references. Ziva with the misquotes and everything she went through. I loved, loved, LOVED the season opener this year when they went to get her. :>
I just sat back and absorbed Star Trek, didn't try to make sense of it, just enjoyed being "in the world" of it again. Afterwards, I tried to make sense of it, and couldn't so hey, I had to see it again. For analysis purposes. Grins.
PJ....Mark Harmon played college ball? Where? Why did I not know this? Hmmmmmmm....
Trish said: My personal favorite is Karl Urban as Bones,
SLURRRRRRP! Yep, couldn't agree more.
Grins.
Have to say though, I loved the Scotty line where everything's going to h**l in a handcart and he says, "This is exciting. I LIKE this place!" in that rolling burr. SNORK!!!
Nancy said: Okay, Trish, your favorite in Trek is Karl Urban's portrayal of McCoy--but it's really Karl himself, isn't it? Eomer? *g*
*Raises hand, grins broadly* That would be me. I'm thinkin' Karl Urban can play anything he wants, including the balalaika and I'll be happy to plunk down my money and watch. Grins. I like to watch.
Harharhar
PJ, that is TOTALLY cool about him playing ball and acting, following in both parent's footsteps. I like him even more.
Trish I remember St. Elsewhere from HS too and I remember thinking he was TOTALLY yumbo even then, in my young innocences...
(Quit snorking, Nancy!)
Drew said: Movies? haven't been to the theater lately, bit I also just saw X-Men Origins-Wolverine.(DVD) Ka_Boom! Also, Hugh Jackman in full-on feral mode. Yow.
Yowza! He was just scrumptious in that, wasn't he? :> He really does a good job of making that character come alive. Wolverine is gruff and tortured in so many ways, while still having this deep moral code. Well played by Jackman, all 'round.
Deb said: Unless you count "Phineas and Ferb", there aren't a whole lot of BOOMs on our t.v. set.
Deb! My sistah! THat's the case in our house too with a 9 y/o and a 5 y/o. Grins. That said, we all ROFLMAO at Phinea and Ferb. Where would we be without Backyard Beach, Squirrels in her Pants, Those Boys are EVIL and so many classic P&F songs? Or story lines.
My DH and I love to watch it too. The rest of the Disney stuff, not so much, but P&F, they ROCK!
Deb, you know what's funny -- my hubby likes romantic comedies, pure comedies, light stuff. I will watch way more dark stuff than he does. He's a Nacho Libre kind of guy. :)
I've never seen Phineas and Ferb, but I do have to say I find Spongebob Squarepants entertaining when I happen to see my nephews watching it.
Anna, I looked up the Boom Boom song, and I would have never remembered this guy's name -- Paul Lekakis. It's from 1987. Evidently, there wasn't a video at the time but they did a 20th anniversary one!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VK99cB3s-J4
Trish, if you like Spongebob, you'll like Phineas and Ferb. I told a friend they were like Beavis and Butthead for the educated set. Snork. Sounds elitist, doesn't it? Hahahah! But some of the references...SNORK!!!
Ooooh, boom. I do love me some boom. :-)
I have to admit, I loved Iron Man, loved Transformers. I'll even admit to loving those Fast & Furious car movies. I'm all about the summer popcorn flicks. I haven't seen Avatar yet--while I love boom, I'm not a huge fan of special effects just for the special effects. I mean, I appreciate a good action sequence but there has to be more, & I haven't found James Cameron particularly adept at delivering the more. (I found Titanic--aside from the every debonair Billy Zane--a massive disappointment.)
So....is Avatar really all that, in terms of story telling? Be honest, now. I can't take three hours of blue people without a really fine story & some skilled character building.
I'm more old school boom--like Indiana Jones (and I did not care for the new one--I mean, come on, Spielberg, could you have been any more obvious with all those aliens tossed in at the end?)--though I did enjoy the boom in the Sherlock Holmes movie. Enough old boom with new boom.
The sci-fi stuff makes me crazy. Our gym's theater played Star Trek a few months back so I definitely liked the beginning of Star Trek much better than the end, but I have to give Abraams props for good dialogue. Our gym theater also showed Iron Man--and I do love Robert Downey Jr, but clearly the concept of this movie is lost to me because when his character was shot out into the middle of the desert in the Iron Man suit and he didn't suffer so much as a concussion, let alone end up as spaghetti sauce, I stopped believing in it.
(This is ironic because I believed all the weirdo stuff that went on in the Pirates movie. Go figure. So I guess: Pirates is my favorite "recent" Boom movie; and probably the Harry Potter one, #6--can't wait for the new one this November.)
In The Young Victoria, Prince Albert gets shot at the end! Does that count as a boom movie? I loved that!
My name is Buffie and I am a NCIS addict!!!
Yep, love love love LOVE that show. And I also love the 2nd one in the franchise -- NCIS Los Angeles. Both are great shows with some really great cutie pies and some quirky characters. In fact, I'm talking about NCIS Los Angeles on my Hot Dish blog today at The Romance Dish.
Since we are talking about boom, what about the Transporter movies. They were not big blockbusters, but there is a lot of BOOM in them. And don't get me started on Jason Statham.
Trish and Anna -- I am laughing hysterically here at the Boom Boom song. Around these parts, "boom boom" refers to shall we say activites in the bedroom. LOL!
Susan, I really liked the love story in Avatar. Jake goes into this situation thinking one way and ends up thinking an entirely different way, finding the one thing on this alien world he's never found in all the time he's spent as a Marine -- something worth fighting for.
I liked several of the parallels in the movie with real-life situations (past and present), but I don't want to get into social commentary here.
Ms. Hellion, I adore the Pirates movies. They've got boom, comedy, action, a love story -- what's not to like?
Buffie, I've not seen the Transporter movies.
I have to say I'm intrigued by the goth chick on NCIS. When I start watching, I'll be interested to learn more about her.
Trish, you really should check out the transporter movies. They are pretty darn good.
Abby is a riot. And man is she tall too.
Trish, I do enjoy some Boom! in my movies and TV shows *g*
My youngest and I love NCIS (although right now we prefer Criminal Minds - less Boom! but lots of spine tingling chills) and she also loves Iron Man! So much that she dressed as him for Halloween and got an Iron Man T-shirt for Christmas :-)
One of my favorite movies with Boom! is Die Hard. I've been thinking about watching that again. It's been too many years since I've seen the whole thing *g*
Buffie, I must say 'boom' has exactly that meaning in this household at all. And given how naughty the Bandits can be - I didn't immediately question the title!
OK, Trish, you owe me a margarita in Nashville. I'm now in excruciating pain because I DID check out the video and now I can't get BBB out my mind! AAAAARRRRGGGGGH!
Trish said: "I have to say I'm intrigued by the goth chick on NCIS."
I can't quite figure her out. Does she look up to Gibbs as a father-figure or does she have a crush on him?
@Jeanne--another Disney Mama! (Snorking at ya!) Phineas and Ferb are funny. Have you ever noticed the title of the show and how their faces are illustrated with the first letters of their names? Shary pointed it out to me because I can never remember which is Phineas and which is Ferb.
Buffie, so the goth chick's name is Abby? She looks like she'd be a hoot.
Beth, it's been a long time since I've seen the Die Hard movies too.
LOL, Anna. Sorry to get the Boom, Boom song stuck in your head. :)
Susan said: (I found Titanic--aside from the every debonair Billy Zane--a massive disappointment.)
Gotta say I agree, Susan. Grins. Sacreligious, aren't we? Ha!
Loved Transformers too!
Buffie said: Since we are talking about boom, what about the Transporter movies. They were not big blockbusters, but there is a lot of BOOM in them. And don't get me started on Jason Statham.
Ohhhhhh yeah, baby! Lurve me some Transporter.
Beth said: One of my favorite movies with Boom! is Die Hard. I've been thinking about watching that again. It's been too many years since I've seen the whole thing *g*
Oh man I love Die Hard too, Beth. :> "YIppee-kie-ay...."
Snork.
Deb said: Have you ever noticed the title of the show and how their faces are illustrated with the first letters of their names?
Yep, my youngest pointed it out. I have to say I just laugh and laugh at those two. :> Then agian, Candace and Jeremy crack me up too. And Baljeed. Snork.
Just a quick run by as my nerves are too shot for much boom.
I LOVED the new Star Trek and think all the actors did a fantastic job of capturing the essense of the original actors in their respective roles. Chris Pine...yum..
As to my stories boom is fine as long as it is not gratuitious or ...premature :-)
Joan, I've been waiting for your Chris Pine Appreciation Post all day. :)
I'm with Bandita KJ on the small
screen boom as presented by NCIS
and CSI: Miami. In fact just within the past two days, I saw a mighty and magnificent bit of boom on CSI: Miami. It had officers flying thru the air, others were running for their lives, and two patrol cars rolling over and over! All this with a background of loud booms and flames! Oh, such joy! what does it matter if this was a
repeat of some seasons back! It
gave us great BOOM!
Pat Cochran
Gigi, I also love Abby!!! What a unique character.
Deb, great question about Abby and Gibbs. I think it's a mix of both. The ambivalence makes it intriguing!
Okay, Trish, I'm convinced that I need to see Avatar now!!!
Aw, Trish...two of my favorites in one blog...NCIS (Does anyone do steely-eyed sexy like mark Gibbs? mmmmmmmm) and Robert Downey Jr., who not only made me love Tony Stark and the Iron Man movies, but sold me on the rather human, yet OCD Sherlock Holmes. And talk about BOOM...and yeah my fill of Steampunk!
I loved Iron Man (yay for RDJr), loved Star Trek (Simon Pegg and Karl Urban my favs), and loved loved loved Avatar.
Can't wait for Iron Man2, and for the next Star Trek installment. Yay for scifi.
FYI, according to imdb, Mark Harmon
graduated cum laude from UCLA in
1974.
Pat Cochran
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