Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow - reviewed.

I realized it’s been a few weeks since my last movie review. Before that, it was even longer, so I decided: it’s movie week.

All week, a new movie review each day.

It starts off with Sky Captain and The World of Tomorrow.

I remembered seeing a few previews years ago, but it never peaked my interest enough to see the actual movie.

It was on my Netflix list, however, so last week it ended up in my mailbox.

Turns out, it wasn’t a bad movie at all.

Sky Captain was a lot like Sin City in the sense that it consisted of a lot of very impressive artwork and graphics.

At first I didn't realize there was so much animation involved.

The movie starts off with a scientist getting killed. From there giant robots attack New York City. The Sky Captain, Harry "Joe" Sullivan (Jude Law) ends up swooping in (literally, with his Sky Captain plane) to save the day.  During the entire scene with the robots, it becomes clear that a good portion of the movie was filmed in front of the green screen.

After watching some of the extras, I realized that the entire movie was actually filmed in front of the green screen.  Of course, I didn't realize that while I was watching the movie.

The attack planes in the movie were actually something that would probably make George Lucas jealous.  The plane wings flapped like the wings of a bird.

They were definitely some awesome spaceship-like planes that the dark side could have used quite well against the Jedi.

Pesky news reporter, Polly Perkins (Gwyneth Paltrow) ends up discovering part of the mystery of these giant robots. Through happenstance, Polly and Joe end up partnering to solve the mystery.

The only problem is that Polly and Joe were once lovers. Awkward....

One of their mutual friends, Dex (Giovanni Ribisi), gets captured by the robots, which is too bad because he adds a little comedic element to the movie that is lacking when he's not in it.

It does further the plot, though, giving Joe and Polly an extra incentive to figure out what the deal was with the robots.

If not to figure out the mystery or to write an article on it (in Polly's case), to find their friend.

Although it was a shame to see Dex disappear from the movie, the relationship between Polly and Joe made for a few laughs.

Jude Law and Gwyneth Paltrow had a good chemistry between them.  Their characters were pretty complex.

Joe's unfaithful past and Polly's career-oriented focus on the future were obvious problems in their relationship, but they still had an obvious attraction to each other.

They end up traveling to a few different places and facing unforeseen odds in order to solve the mystery of the robots.

Usually I can predict the plot of a movie, but I didn't see the twists and turns the movie took.

During their travels, there's a nice little appearance by Franky -- probably recognizable to most as Angelina Jolie with a patch on her eye.

For a good portion of the movie I was convinced that Angelina Jolie played the part of the mysterious female commander of the giant robots.

Turns out that's not Angelina -- somebody else.

Like with most of the other characters, there was a nice surprising reveal with that character as well.

None of the characters were one-dimensional, which made the movie-watching very enjoyable.

At the end of the movie there's a twist that I doubt very many people will see coming.



In a way it was kind of far-fetched, but, then again, the entire movie (set in a more advanced 1939) was kind of far-fetched, so I guess I can't complain about that too much.

Overall I was very impressed with the movie.

It was part adventure, part romantic comedy, part mystery and part (or large part, I guess) animation.

It definitely exceeded the expectations set by those previews I saw several years back.


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Stan Lee's Top 15 Cameos

With the premiere of the third Iron Man just a few days away, there are several questions to be answered: who is the main villain? How will Iron Man survive what appears to be (based on the previews anyway) his greatest threat yet? Will there be an Iron Man 4?

Just as important, though, is this question: what will Stan Lee’s cameo be?

He’s made an appearance in almost every Marvel movie in the past decade. It’s become a tradition. Even his least memorable cameos have been very fun to watch.

To prepare you for Iron Man 3, here’s the top 15 Stan Lee cameos:

15. Stan Lee as an eyewitness to the Avengers saving New York City

Stan Lee’s last cameo, in The Avengers, was fun, but not particularly clever or overly memorable. He made a minor appearance towards the end of the movie as a witness to the scene in New York.

To be fair, The Avengers was such an action-packed movie that finding a cameo for Lee was probably a fairly difficult task.



14. Stan Lee as a heroic bystander in Spider-Man (2002)

In Spider-Man, Stan Lee makes an appearance during a airborne battle scene between the Green Goblin and Spider-Man. He quickly saves a little girl from some falling debris.

It’s one of the first cameos Stan Lee made, so I can forgive the movie’s writers for not coming up with something more creative.



13. Stan Lee as the vendor on the beach in X-Men (2000)

This wasn’t so much a Stan Lee cameo as it was him being an extra.

Lee was one of the several awe-struck people standing on the beach as Senator Kelly, a newly formed mutant, made his way out of the water (completely nude) and onto the beach. Again, one of the earlier cameos, so it’s not exactly full of creativity. It was what it was, though. It got Stan Lee’s name into the credits.



12. Stan Lee as the heroic bystander in Spider-Man 2 (2004)

In a similar scenario as his cameo in Spider-Man, Stan Lee prevents a young woman from getting pummeled by some falling rocks while Spider-Man was busy battling the Doctor Octopus one the side of a New York City skyscraper.

He stepped forward and pulled the woman to safety.  It wasn't a very memorable scene and, because it is so similar to the cameo in Spider-Man, it really blends together.  This is the one cameo that I completely forgot about.



11. Stan Lee as the contaminated soda drinker in The Incredible Hulk (2008)

In the plot of The Incredible Hulk, they discovered where Bruce Banner was hiding out because they traced him through a series of consumers who’d been affected by contaminated soft drinks.

Stan Lee was one of the several people shown in the montage who drank the Hulk-contaminated soda.



10. Stan Lee as “Larry King” in Iron Man 2 (2010)

After portraying Hugh Hefner in Iron Man (see number 3 on the list), who else could’ve been a better pick for Tony Stark to mistake Stan Lee for?  This cameo comes at the Stark Expo.

Lee borrow’s Larry King’s trademark suspenders and tie, making him a pretty decent imitation.



9. Stan Lee as Jean Grey’s neighbor in X3: The Last Stand (2006)

This one was pretty impressive. Usually Stan Lee’s cameos are more comedic. X3 was probably the most serious of all the X-Men movies. Cyclops, the Professor and Jean Grey all ended up dying in that movie.

Lee’s cameo did provide some comic relief, but it did so without taking away the seriousness of the scene. He was shown holding a hose of water, but the water was going upwards, not affected by gravity. One cameo that served several purposes all at once.



8. Stan Lee as the mailman in Fantastic Four (2005)

This one isn't all that exciting, but it's kind of fun at the same time. Lee is the mailman for the building that becomes the Fantastic Four headquarters. He makes a quick appearance to hand Reed Richards his mail and then Lee is on his way. The bit isn't funny or clever, but it's nice to see Stan Lee have a cameo in the movie.



7. Stan Lee as a security guard in The Hulk (2003)

This cameo is awesome because you get two for the price of one. Stan Lee makes an appearance as a security guard alongside Lou Ferrigno, the actor who played The Incredible Hulk in the TV series from the 1970s. So you have the creator of the character and the actor who played the character in the TV series both making a cameo in the movie. That's the very definition of "epic."



6. Stan Lee as the newspaper reader in Daredevil (2003)

Lee’s cameo in the underrated Daredevil was simple, comedic and effective. During a montage that displayed Daredevil’s special abilities, Stan Lee was shown as a New Yorker with his face in a newspaper. He’s about to step into the crosswalk, right in front of a bus, but Daredevil puts out his cane and stops Lee from becoming a traffic accident victim.



5. Stan Lee as a would-be wedding guest in Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007)

While Tony Stark is busy mistaking Stan Lee for Hugh Hefner and Larry King in the Iron Man movies, the poor guy couldn’t even get into Susan Storm
and Reed Richard’s wedding in Fantastic Four. Lee’s cameo comes before their ceremony, as he is telling security that he is invited even though they can’t find him on the list. This cameo didn’t further any plots, but it was good for a laugh.



4. Stan Lee as a colonel in Captain America (2011)

This one had me cracking up. Stan Lee is sitting in a crowd of generals, press and others at some kind of ceremony. They were waiting to see Captain America make his appearance.

A man introduces Captain America, but he doesn't show up (because he's busy fighting the Red Skull). So, there are these two members of the military left on stage. The camera cuts to Stan Lee in the audience, dressed up as a Colonel. He says, "I thought he was taller," referring to one of the men still on the stage.

I'm pretty sure my explanation didn't do it justice, so watch it here and enjoy a laugh.



3. Stan Lee as Hugh Hefner in Iron Man (2008)

Although he’s not technically acknowledged as being Hugh Hefner, Tony Stark greets Stan Lee at a gala as, “Hef,” before greeting other guests.

Lee is shown dressed in a smoking jacket. He’s surrounded by what looks to be several attractive ladies as well. After Strark mistakes his identity, Lee responds, “That’s okay, I get this all the time.”



2. Stan Lee as the librarian in The Amazing Spider-Man (2012)

One of the best of several awesome scenes in The Amazing Spider-Man was the cameo featuring Stan Lee. He plays the school librarian who is busy organizing books while listening to some classical music in his headphones. He’s doing this while Spider-Man and The Lizard are battling each other behind him, throughout the library. It made for a comedic scene that got a literal laugh out loud from the theatre audience I saw the movie with.



1. Stan Lee as the truck driver in Thor (2011)

This was my all-time favorite Stan Lee cameo. After Thor’s father, Odin, takes away Thor’s powers, he sends his mighty hammer to Earth. The hammer, which only the purest of hearts can pick up, is stuck in the middle of an Arizona desert.

One somewhat redneck looking local finds it and tries to lift it. This progresses into a scene where several locals are having a drinking party. Music is playing. People are drinking beer. All the while, dozens of guys are trying to lift the hammer out of the ground. One man hooks a chain up to his truck and the other to the hammer. The man in the truck floors the gas pedal.

The truck ends up giving way, while the hammer doesn’t budge. The man in the truck is revealed to be Stan Lee, who simply says, “Did I get it?”


Given that some of Lee’s most recent cameos are at the top of my list and that the Iron Man cameos, in particular, have been entertaining, I’m hoping there’s something creative in store for the Iron Man 3 cameo.


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Charlotte Cupcakes - Gigi's Cupcakes

For some reason I’m just finding out about Gigi’s Cupcakes.

I Googled “Charlotte Cupcakes” several months ago when I started writing these reviews and I missed Gigi’s.

It’s located in the Sharon Corners Shopping Center, but it doesn’t stick out, even if you’re looking for it.

The shop is tucked way back in the corner, underneath Jesse Brown's. Admittedly, I missed the turn at first, so I had to make a loop through an entirely unrelated neighborhood in order to actually find the shop.

It’s a smaller shop in size, with a couple of display cases on each side of the cash register, but the cupcakes sure aren’t!

Just looking at the display case you can tell that there’s a lot of effort that goes into the cupcakes. The frosting is piled on – three layers up – and some of the cupcakes had additional toppings and decorations as well.

How good they tasted, I wasn’t sure, but they looked impressive.

I was very tempted to get the Peanut Butter Cup and Salted Chocolate Caramel cupcakes, but the cupcakes at Gigi’s aren't terribly cheap, so I figured I'd better stick with just two of them.

Miss Princess Cupcake

I felt a little odd ordering a “Miss Princess” cupcake, but it looked delicious, so I put aside the name and got the cupcake anyway. It was white cake baked with strawberries.

A triple layer of cream cheese frosting was on top with pink sugar crystals on top of that. Oh, yeah. A pink crown was on top. The crown made me feel like I was attending a seven-year-old’s birthday party.

Nonetheless, the cupcake tasted great. I’m pretty sure I’ve had better tasting strawberry cupcakes (this one wasn’t bursting with flavor), but at the same time it was very good.

The only complaint I had was that I had a large goop of frosting left on my plate when I was done with the cupcake. It was too sugary to eat by itself and there was just too much of it. Thankfully, I had some pretzels, so I had a couple of frosting-dipped pretzels, which were almost as delicious as bark-covered pretzels.


Cooke Dough Cupcake

This one was the best cookie dough cupcake I’ve had yet. Cookie dough and chocolate chips were actually baked into the cupcake. It tasted just as a cookie dough cupcake should.

I think the cookie dough frosting, chocolate chips and chocolate chip cookie helped with the taste, but the cupcake itself tasted like a cookie dough cookie. Really, a superb cupcake!


The positives: the cookie dough cupcake was definitely worth the stop. It's probably going to lead to a second stop on my part as well.

The negatives: there was too much frosting on the Princess cupcake. The fact that it's called 'Miss Princess' kind of bothered me too. I think they need a manly version of a strawberry cupcake.

Cost: they're right at that $3.00 price -- not entirely cheap, but they are large and they pack on the extras (sprinkles, chocolate chips, etc.).


Gigi's Cupcakes
4732 Sharon Road
Charlotte, NC
Phone: 704-643-7117
For hours of operation go to: www.gigiscupcakesusa.com


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Some fun news blunders

After A.J. Clemente's on-air gaffe, there's a lot of opinion floating around about whether or not he should have been fired.

When I was getting my degree in Mass Communication, I was taught that there are a couple of cardinal sins in journalism. One is saying that someone is dead when they really aren't.  That's a surefire way to lose your job, especially if the person you accidentally kill is Reverend Billy Graham.

The other major no-no is swearing while you're on the air. For that reason, when I was a reporter, I didn't swear inside the TV station at all.

Despite Clemente's firing, he's been getting his 15 minutes of fame, so it may work out for the best.

Clemente wasn't the first TV personality to swear during a live broadcast and I'm sure he won't be the last.

Whether it's magazines, newspapers or TV news broadcasts, mistakes happen. Some are more minor than others though.

Mistakes, big and small, are bound to happen when there's a lot of information being given out on a tight deadline. It's actually quite amazing that there aren't more mistakes since there's so much information that goes into just one story.

As long as they don't harm anyone, those mistakes are kind of fun to laugh at:

At the end of 2012, CNN posted a lengthy article about how Patrick Dempsey purchased a Seattle coffee chain that wasn't doing so well.

Very minor mistake in the article, using "is" instead of "in." It's a quick typo that has probably happened to everyone.

In the day and age of Internet trolls, however, it's usually the smallest mistakes that receive the most flack in the comments section of the articles. I guess people feel that mistakes, no matter how small, shouldn't happen. If only they were easier to avoid.


Here's another example of a word being left out of a sentence, causing a confusing sentence:



It's easy enough to figure out what happened, but not without re-reading it a couple of times over.

"Will be" would have fixed all their problems.


Here is another very minor mistake.

After a shooting happened in the Raleigh, NC area, news station WTVD posted the news story online. They almost made it through the entire article without error. Towards the end, however, they made the mistake: they left out the patient's condition.

Instead of listing what her condition was, they left it out entirely, making for a fun and useless sentence: "She is currently in condition."



Sometimes it's not a case of a word being left out that's the issue.  Instead, it's too many words that makes for a confusing sentence.

There was an example of this in the Rock Hill Herald a couple of months ago.  The story was about a man who exposed himself in a Wal-Mart parking lot.  The article was describing what happened prior to that incident.

This is what they ended up with: "Dorsey said he was dumped a cup of alcohol onto the ground before he went into the store."


The headline to the right, also posted on the Herald website, wasn't missing any words. Instead, the words weren't put in the right order.

"Fireworks warehouse in explodes, killing 1"

Even if they put the words in the correct order ("Fireworks in warehouse explodes, killing 1"), I'm not sure it would have been accurate.

Not to nitpick, but I think the proper headline should have read: "Fireworks in warehouse explode, killing 1."

It's been a while since I had a college journalism course and even longer since I had a high school grammar exercise, but I'm pretty sure since 'fireworks' is plural, 'explodes' shouldn't be.


Lastly, here's one from KDLT, an NBC affiliate in South Dakota.

I don't know if it qualifies as a 'mistake.' After all, I think it's a case of the headline being too many words for the allotted space on the website.

It's not a major issue because, in this case, it's easy enough to figure out what the headline was supposed to read.

Still, it's not good when you leave readers having to guess what the rest of the headline is supposed to read.  Headlines are supposed to jump out at you from the page, enticing you to read the article.  When a reader is trying to focus on what the headline is supposed to say, they're not focusing on what the article is about.


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Characters who should appear in upcoming X-Men movies

After blogging about some possible characters in a possible third G.I. Joe movie, I figured why not give X-Men a shot.

Days of Future past is already in the works, but what about the one after that? One has to think that after the original trilogy, two Wolverine movies and two prequels, there’s not too many X-Men movies left.

Nightcrawler made an appearance in X2, Beast made his full-form appearance in X-Men: The Last Stand, and Gambit made an appearance in X-Men Origins: Wolverine. Banshee, Havok and The White Queen were all part of X-Men: First Class.

Magneto, Mystique, Cyclops, the Professor, Rogue and Storm were all major parts of the original X-Men trilogy. So who is left?

Here are a few characters who would be fun to see make appearances in any remaining X-Men movies:


Jubilee

She was a teenager in the animated series in the ‘90s. Because of that she was often left out of the major missions, for her own safety. In X-Men, Rogue kind of took on the role of the teenage sidekick, so there wasn't much role left for Jubilee.

In First Class, however, most of the mutants who were involved in the fight scenes were teenagers too, so maybe there is a spot for Jubilee in upcoming X-Men movies.



Mr. Sinister

With his 21st century-style Dracula-like look, one would think that Mr. Sinister would have been used by now, if for no other reason than the fact that he’d be a very visually impressive looking addition.

Perhaps in Days of Future Past there will be an appearance.

In the ‘90s cartoon, Mr. Sinister was usually seen helping out the X-Men, battling the Sentinels, in future times.



Apocalypse

He’s arguably the most invincible villain of the entire X-Men franchise. He’s yet to make an appearance in any of the movies though. Perhaps it’s because he’s so invincible. It’d be extremely difficult for the X-Men to defeat him by himself, let alone with other villains involved.

The X-Men movies have always been more ensemble than focusing on a single mutant – villain or hero. Unless his four horsemen of the Apocalypse were involved, Apocalypse almost always battled the X-Men without help from anyone else.



Cable

If Apocalypse is to make an appearance, then Cable is a ‘must’ as well. As a time traveler, Cable has been battling Apocalypse throughout various decades and centuries.

He was never my favorite character of the X-Men series, but he is almost the ying to Apocalypse’s yang. It wouldn’t be right to have one without the other.

If Apocalypse shows up, Cable is sure to be close behind.



Omega Red

If there’s another Wolverine movie, then Omega Red is the only foe left that would make sense. Wolverine battled Lady Deathstrike in X2, Sabretooth in X-Men Origins, and will face the Silver Samurai in The Wolverine.

Other than the Incredible Hulk, Omega Red is the one major battle Wolverine has had in the comics and animated series, but not in the movies.



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Characters who should appear in GI Joe 3

After the successful opening weekend for G.I. Joe: Retaliation a few weeks back, rumors immediately started swirling about G.I. Joe 3.

Even though there was no additional scene after the credits, I almost immediately began anticipating a third movie as well.

Given that there was such a shift in the cast between the first and second movies, I'm hoping they continue that trend (to a degree) with the third, welcoming a few more Joes to the fold. I hope there's a few new villains as well.

While I always welcome Storm Shadow back for round three, I think Firefly and Zartan's departures (assuming they don't make a miraculous comeback) will open up a couple of new spots.

Here are some of the characters I'd like to see show up next time around:

Shipwreck

He was always one of my favorite G.I. Joes, simply because Shipwreck always had personality. There were some episodes that centered around him and it got to be a little annoying.

Too much Shipwreck equals annoyance. He'd be a great addition for a third movie though.

If they could find someone who could capture the same personality that Shipwreck had in the animated series, he'd fit very will into an ensemble cast.



Tomax and Xamot (aka the Crimson Twins)

These two became two of the most entertaining characters in the G.I. Joe universe -- villain or hero.

I'd love to see them appear, pretty much as they did in the cartoon: finishing each others sentences, doing all kinds of acrobatics and being generally evil without any remorse.

I would prefer to see them be a little more karate-based and eliminate a few of the acrobatics, but, generally they should be kept the same. No reason to fix what's not broken.



Bazooka

As G.I. Joe's resident missile specialist, Bazooka is almost always carrying a bazooka in his hand. Often times he was characterized as a buffoon in the series. I know some fans of the character didn't like this, but it never really bothered me.

In fact, that's what made me like him. He was always good for some comic relief.



Gung-Ho

If there's anyone with more personality than Shipwreck in G.I. Joe, it's Gung-Ho. He's loud and colorful at all times

He has some impressive strength in the animated series, so that would probably have to be toned down a bit.

Throwing around several Cobra troops without breaking a sweat probably isn't the most believable thing to have happen in a live action movie.



Serpentor

I don't think it's time to take the spotlight off of Cobra Commander -- not yet. After all, he just appeared in full form in the second movie. However, it would be cool to plant some seeds for another villain for a fourth movie.

Maybe an appearance in an extra scene after the credits?

After Cobra Commander drops the ball another time, Serpentor could be there to pick it up, leading to the interesting dynamic of Cobra Commander having to give up some power and control to a more powerful quasi-ally.



Sgt. Slaughter

He was a World Wrestling Federation wrestler, but after his appearance in G.I. Joe The Movie, Sgt. Slaughter solidified himself as a member of the Joe universe. G.I. Joe and the WWF was a partnership I doubt may people saw coming, but it's one people should have expected. There's a lot of similarities between the two.

I think it's cool that Slaughter was able to make a convincing cameo in the animated movie. For that reason alone, it would be cool to see him make a small cameo in the next live action movie.



Destro and The Baroness

Both Destro and the Baroness have already appeared in the first G.I. Joe movie, but I'd like to see a return. Cobra Commander just isn't the same without his uneasy relationship with Destro and the untrustworthy Baroness.

Without that dastardly duo trying to defeat the Joes while simultaneously de-throning Cobra Commander, the G.I. Joe movies weren't as fun as they could have been. Here's to hoping they rectify that mistake if there's a third installment.



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10 very cool places to visit - if only they existed!

I have yet to see Oz: The Great and Powerful, but I hear it’s a pretty decent movie. It’s on my ‘to see’ list – maybe even in the theatres.

I’m curious to see what the plot is since I’ve stayed away from reviews and spoilers. I’m equally curious to see what Oz looks like with the technical capabilities of the 21st century.

Over the years, Hollywood has done a pretty spectacular job at making some make believe places look very real. Here are nine other make believe lands that would provide a lot of fun if they actually did exist:


Narnia

Imagine being able to step through a mirror and being transported to a magical land of talking lions, talking beavers and other magical beings.

As long as it's a time of peace, there wouldn't be any evil witches to worry about. I think I'd be a little scared to go, honestly.

I'd be worried Aslan would get a bit of an appetite and I'd be his lunch.  It'd be and adventure though -- that's for sure.



Neverland

A place where you never grow up. Food fights always happen at dinner. Flying is possible with just a handful of pixie dust. Waterfalls and luscious green grass. Imagine going to Neverland for a three-day weekend.

Just watch out for the alligators, the pirates and the mermaids who try to woo you into a false sense of security.

The Indians and the Lost Boys are friendly though. Plus Peter Pan will be there to save the day. That's the kind of experience people would pay money for.



Wonderland

A little more mysterious than Neverland, Wonderland is a place where you’re not quite sure if there’s trickery going on. The land of the unexpected.

Wonderland is what I would imagine an acid trip being like – with the talking (and floating) Cheshire Cat and the smoking caterpillars.  I don't know if it's exactly the place I'd want to vacation to, but it would provide more than a few stories to tell after just one trip.



Etheria

The sister planet to Eternia – He-Man’s home planet. Etheria is, appropriately enough, home to He-Man’s sister, She-Ra. At least one portion of the planet is controlled by Hordak and his evil minions. That portion of the planet never seems to see any day light – possibly because it’s covered by so much smog in the atmosphere.

On the other side of the planet, however, you’ll find woodland creatures, mermaids, and colorful plants and trees. Talking brooms, talking horses and flying human beings are not unusual sights on Etheria, but so long as you're on the peaceful side of the planet, you'll be safe. Kind of like a lot of the countries in the world: be aware of your surroundings and don't put yourself in dangerous situations and you'll be fine.



Care-a-Lot

This one had to be on the list.

With walkways and bridges made of rainbows and houses and cars made of clouds, it’s the kind of place where you’d really expect unicorns to poop butterflies.

It may get a little boring without sarcasm, alcohol and horror movies, but it would be a nice place to escape to every now and then when you're having a bad day at work.




The floating mountains from Avatar

I’d need a pretty powerful helicopter to get to the floating mountains from Avatar, but if they did exist, I’d definitely be booking a trip. How cool would it be to hang out on a floating mountain?

Granted, you may lose a few golf balls or Frisbees if you use too much power, but it would be an experience in and of itself just to say you’ve been on a floating mountain.

It would provide material for at least a dozen different Tweets and Facebook posts – probably on day 1 alone of the trip.  Just don’t get too close to the edge!




Shangri-La

Shangri-La is one of the several locations briefly featured in adventure movie: Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow.

This was the best shot from the movie. While there wasn't much detail given about it, Shangri-La certainly seems like an incredibly majestic place to visit. The bridgeways and multiple waterfalls are what sell it for me.



Otoh Gunga

It's probably more commonly known as the underwater city from Star Wars: Episode I.

Jar Jar Binks called it home, which means it may not be filled with the brightest of creatures.

You may not get the most stimulating conversation, but the spectacular underwater view would more than make up for that.

There's always the danger of flooding in an underwater city, but how cool would it be to say that you spent the weekend



Asgard

Having a stressful week at work?

Go to Asgard, take pictures of the rainbow walkways.

Protected by the likes of Thor and Odin (along with numerous other well-trained warriors), you can kick back and relax for sure. Granted, there's always the off-chance of an ice warrior invasion, but those probably happen as infrequently as snow in June.



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