American Sniper, Dragon 2 & Unbroken - My Thoughts

After my doctors appointment my buddy Brett came over to hang out and watch some PGA screeners with me. We started with American Sniper. Here's a quick synopsis: Chris Kyle was nothing more than a Texan man who wanted to become a cowboy, but in his thirties he found out that maybe his life needed something different, something where he could express his real talent, something that could help America in its fight against terrorism. So he joined the SEALs in order to become a sniper. After marrying, Kyle and the other members of the team are called for their first tour of Iraq. Kyle's struggle isn't with his missions, but about his relationship with the reality of the war and, once returned at home, how he manages to handle it with his urban life, his wife and kids.

I enjoyed this movie but I did have a hard time identifying with the main character. Though I would never consider joining the military I do understand the reasoning behind those who do and appreciate each and every one of them. What I don't understand with this character and others like him, is continuing to do tours. The first one I get, but after his first tour he has a wife and child and he goes back again and again and again while his family is left alone and his wife is left to raise their two kids as a single mother. This is different then a person who's in the Military for life as their family moves around with them from base to base. This guy claims he was protecting his family by doing these tours and I think that's the part I don't get. How can you protect your family when you are gone nine months out of the year, thousands of miles away. Anyways it was a very tense and suspenseful movie. ::spoilers:: I didn't know the real story so when the title card came up at the end of the movie and informed the viewers that Chris was killed by a vet he was trying to help, it kind of put a dampener on the movie for me. But I give American Sniper an B

Next we watched How to Train Your Dragon 2. Here's a quick synopsis: It's been five years since Hiccup and Toothless successfully united dragons and vikings on the island of Berk. While Astrid, Snotlout and the rest of the gang are challenging each other to dragon races (the island's new favorite contact sport), the now inseparable pair journey through the skies, charting unmapped territories and exploring new worlds. When one of their adventures leads to the discovery of a secret ice cave that is home to hundreds of new wild dragons and the mysterious Dragon Rider, the two friends find themselves at the center of a battle to protect the peace. Now, Hiccup and Toothless must unite to stand up for what they believe while recognizing that only together do they have the power to change the future of both men and dragons.

I really enjoyed the first Dragon movie so I was looking forward to seeing this. I even was hoping to see it in the theaters but never found the time to go. The second one was just as good as the first. I liked the story and the character growth over the five years. There's really not much to say.. if you enjoyed the first movie then you'll enjoy this movie. I give How to Train Your Dragon 2 a solid B+

And our final movie of the day was Unbroken. Here's a quick synopsis: After a near-fatal plane crash in WWII, Olympian Louis Zamperini spends a harrowing 47 days in a raft with two fellow crewmen before he's caught by the Japanese navy and sent to a prisoner-of-war camp.

I've been looking forward to seeing this one and it did not disappoint. You watch this movie and keep asking yourself.. is this really based on a true story, man this guy went through hell and survived. Some of the scenes are so hard to watch and you feel so much hatred and anger towards his captures (well the main "bad" guy) that you just want someone to kill him. This movie is all about the human sprint. The main character had some much of it, you could beat him down and take everything away from him but he wasn't going to let them win.. he persevered and won in the end. It's an pretty amazing movie.. I give Unbroken a solid A