Chundles

I'm baffled by the bipartisan uproar over Barack Obama's recent comments that he might "refine" his strategy to end the war in Iraq and bring the troops home. The exact quote is as follows:

“My position has not changed but keep in mind what that original position was. I have always said that I will listen to commanders on the ground; I’ve always said that the pace of withdrawal would be dictated by the safety and security of our troops and the need to maintain stability," he said. "That assessment has not changed and when I go to Iraq and I have a chance to talk to some of the commanders on the ground, I’m sure I’ll have more information and will continue to refine my policies.”

First of all, what's so controversial about what he said? He'd be a complete moron to say that he was going to bring troops home immediately without regard to the broader situation on the ground. Second of all, he's never said that he would actually do that. So what's the big deal? The big deal is the fact that people think Obama is above politics, that he's a figure akin to Ghandi, Jesus Christ, Martin Luther King, or some of the other revolutionary change-makers throughout history. And that he can wave a magic wand and fix the mess in Iraq that we created. Neither are true, but that's not necessarily a knock on Barack.

Barack Obama is a politician. So far, he's shown himself to be a pretty good one too, although he hasn't been put to the test yet (a good campaigner and fundraiser does not a good leader make). Politicians change their mind all the time. They have to. The world changes constantly, and any policy maker who doesn't change with it will get left behind (at least that's that way it should be). So it's smart and responsible of him to say what he did. On top of that, the "system" requires politicians to do so to stay alive.

Our country and our government are not things from a fairy tale that can be changed at the drop of a hat. They are real, made up of flawed individuals (like all of us), and neither is easy to change. I support Obama's campaign, but let's be honest. The US is not a dictatorship, so the amount of change any one person can implement (without the support of the Legislative branch) is very, very limited.

It seems that Obamaniacs have created an image of Barack that he can never live up to--that he is capable of waving a magic wand and affecting the kind of change he's been campaigning about. I'm sorry to say that anyone who thinks that we can just up-and-up leave Iraq has no grasp on reality. You think our international reputation is bad now? Imagine what it would be if we did that and left the Iraqis, and the thousands of terrorists who've entered the country over the last 5 years, to fend for themselves. That would be stupid and irresponsible. We can develop and implement an exit strategy, but we can't just turn our backs and go home.

As I said, I support Obama. We need some new blood in Washington, and McCain is too close to the current administration for my liking. I just hope that the unattainable image of Obama created by his followers doesn't make it impossible for him to succeed. He's real, our problems our real, and it will take a lot of hard work to make even some of the changes he's talking about.

Wanted
(c) 2007 Universal Studios
Starring James McAvoy, Morgan Freeman, Terence Stamp, Thomas Kretschmann, Common and Angelina Jolie

With a toddler running around the house, I don't get to the movies frequently. I didn't want to blow my wad on a crappy movie, so I had to choose carefully. Indiana Jones and Ironman? Those are DVD movies for me. Wall-E? Maybe that'll be the first movie I take Hannah too. Don't Mess with the Zohan? I probably would've enjoyed that, but it wasn't playing at the theater I wanted to go to. I've always been a fan of (good) Summer blockbusters, so I chose Wanted, a special-effects laden action flick with a good cast.

Since Angelina is a such a big star, and her hotness has the power to sell tickets, the previews made it seem like she (and her sex appeal) was the star of this movie, but that wasn't the case. She had an important role, and she looked good (if a little skinny), but this movie wasn't about her. Regardless, I made the right choice.

James McAvoy (The Last King of Scotland) plays Wesley Gibson, an unhappy, unfulfilled, paycheck-to-paycheck numbers cruncher at an unnamed corporation. The only eventful things happening in his life are his best friend banging his girlfriend, and his dump of an apartment that sits within a few feet of the subway tracks.

Early in the movie, Gibson is approached by Angelina's character, Fox, and told about a fraternity of assassins that Gibson's father (who was allegedly killed in the first scene of the movie) was a part of. Gibson, with his pathetic existence and low self esteem, doesn't believe it. Ultimately, he's convinced that he's the only person on earth who can avenge his father's death, so he decides to join the fraternity.

Through a series of brutal training exercises, Gibson hones the skills that lie deep within his DNA. As the ensemble cast trains Gibson to become a killer, the story of the Fraternity unfolds: thousand years old, carries out assignments to restore order to the universe, guided by fate, etc. When his training is complete, Gibson becomes a member of the Fraternity and is given the assignment to find and murder his father's killer.

While McAvoy does a great job playing the unassuming assassin, the real star of Wanted is the special effects. There were some amazing chase scenes, the methods used by the assassins was flat-out cool, and they used some nifty little tricks like making bullets curve like a Barry Zito curveball. I'm no special effects expert, but Wanted brought some new things to the table that will no doubt be copied by others in the next few years.

The story held my interest as well, although the background story of the Fraternity seemed to have borrowed a few elements from The Priory of Sion, detailed in Dan Brown's book The Davinci Code. The Fraternity's history was detailed by Sloan (Morgan Freeman), and even though pieces of it seemed familiar, Morgan Freeman stately voice and stage presence makes it easy to suspend disbelief.

All in all, I enjoyed Wanted, would recommend it to others and look forward to seeing it again when it comes out on DVD. It's a well-made, action packed Summer movie with a good cast, great special effects, and a story that will hold your interest. If you go in with the right expectations, you won't be disappointed.

Rating: 3 Stars (out of 4)