Review: Georgie Pie

Despite my distaste for McDonalds, today I bit the bullet and ventured into one of their fine establishments. The reason: the 2013 Georgie Pie comeback.

So here it is, reviewed just for you on my patented "Hmm-Meh-Mmmm" scale.

Price: Hmm.
At NZD $4.50, McDonalds has clearly banked on the comeback of the brand to ensure people try it at least once, no matter the price. For comparison the Mercari Bakery prices their "award winning" steak and cheese pies at $3.80.

Pastry: Mmmm.
My pie was golden, firm and without a soggy base. It is also a square pie, which earns it a bonus mark.

Filling: Meh.
Initial disapointment at the filling was explained by a closer look at the advertising. This is a "steak mince and cheese pie", and not a steak and cheese pie. Or in other words, it's a mince and cheese pie.

Overall: Meh.
Worth getting once for the nostalgia and novelty value, but it's not going to replace your neighbourhood bakery pie.

Matthew's Midyear Movie Mayhem

So, after being on a film watching spree lately (well, a spree by my standards, probably not by your standards), I thought I'd do a quick and dirty review of each of them. NB: Reviews may not contain any dirt.

How many of these films have you seen? Score yourself out of four.

Argo (2012)

A nice "historical drama thriller" directed by, and starring, Ben Affleck. The film follows American embassy staff who are trapped in Iran and a CIA agent who creates a cover story involving a fake film studio to get them out. Based on events that occured during the Iranian hostage crisis, the film unfortunately minimises the Canadian input into the rescue plan and ignores the role of the British and New Zealand embassy staff. Don't worry though, we had the last laugh, because on 12 March 2013 New Zealand's parliament passed a motion that the house "...acknowledge with gratitude the efforts of former New Zealand diplomats Chris Beeby and Richard Sewell in assisting American hostages in Tehran during the hostage crisis in 1979, and express its regret that the director of the movie Argo saw fit to mislead the world about what actually happened during that crisis when, in reality, our courageous diplomats’ inspirational actions were of significant help to the American hostages and deserve the factual and historical record to be corrected." That'll show them!

The Hangover Part III (2013)

The third film of the series departs somewhat from the formula that made the first one such a success and that the second one blatently reproduced. Part III has more Mr. Chow, less Doug and no Mike Tyson. The film relies on the adventures of Phil, Stu and Alan to deliever an as-expected comedy that is satisfying but you probably won't remember in two weeks time.

Gangster Squad (2013)

Originally scheduled for a 2012 release before it was re-worked following the 2012 Batman theatre shootings, Gangster Squad follows a squad of LAPD police officers who are tasked with working outside the law to bring down the city's most notorious gangster. Vaguely based on true events, Gangster Squad features Josh Brolin, Ryan Gosling, Sean Penn and Emma Stone. The film is stylishly shot and, despite a perhaps slightly shallow plot, it will keep your attention throughout.

Fast & Furious 6 (2013)

The sixth film in the series finally reunites Vin Diesel, Paul Walker and Michelle Rodriguez, along with Dwayne Johnson, MMA champion Gina Carano and most of the episode five's cast. The film builds on F&F 5's formula of moving away from a car film and towards a hiest film, with cars. Entertaining and with plenty of ridiculous action, this series isn't over yet as the movie clearly sets up a sequel. We went to a super enhanced viewing that included audience participation, which only added to the film's appeal.

A review of a bridge...yes, seriously.

As you well know, we here at Dinosaurs and Dandelions are the undisputed leaders in bridge related news in the North Massey-Westgate area. So when the "Westgate Pedestrian and Cycle Bridge" was officially opened last week by the NZTA and Auckland Transport, we were all over it - well maybe not all over it, but we certainly walked across it.

The bridge is yellow.

Kick-Ass: surprizingly Kick-Ass.

For those unfamiliar with its comic book source material, Kick-Ass tells the story of Dave Lizewski, an average, kinda nerdy, [and apparently a little nuts] teenager, who sets out to become a superhero... of sorts.

Dave Lizewski is, as he puts it, the kinda guy who doesn't even stand out among his own, unspectacular friends. The averagest, of average. But that all changes after he and a friend are mugged, while an onlooker does nothing. With his favourite comic book heroes swirling around his head, he dons a mask and a... well, a wetsuit, and goes about kicking some ass... eventually anyway. Along the way he meets a couple of more serious masked vigilantes and gets mixed up in some heavy shit.
Do not be fooled by what sounds like a cheesy plot, this is serious stuff! Okay, a bit cheesy too, but in a good way! And with an R18 rating, it's no Spider-Man. The movie mixes epic superhero action with teen comedy angst in a surprisingly successful manner. Think Superbad meets Watchmen... if your brain can comprehend such a pairing...

There's obviously no deep and meaningful storyline or anything, but the plot is solid enough and it manages to genuinly keep you guessing. The young leads all put on a good show, especially the two main kids! Aaron Johnson, as Dave Lizewski [aka Kick-Ass] is awesome and Chloe Moretz will blow your fucking mind, as Hit-Girl. [Seriously! I can't say much more without ruining it, but what the fuck!] Some good showings from the supporting cast as well, including Christopher 'McLovin' Mintz-Plasse as Red Mist and even Nicolas 'why did they cast me' Cage seems to fit his role as Big Daddy.
In conclusion, go see this movie! I mean you know, if you're into that kinda thing... or even if you ain't! Would highly recommend as a first date. Epic as fuck. Oh, and did I mention it has cool tunes?

Rated: R18 [unless you're Canadian, then you can take your kids to see it] Contains strong brutal violence throughout, pervasive language, sexual content, nudity and drug use.