What do you get when two satellite engineers meet? It's impossible to see the end result.

Jack Black was the literal result of two satellite engineers, marrying and having a child. For those of you who regularly watch Black's movies, we are talking about Hubble satellite technology and not dish satellite technology.

Jack Black has made "title" waves at the box office with films such as "Nacho Libre", "School of Rock" and "Shallow Hal". His newest release "Kung Fu Panda" has been talked about in my household for the past two months ever since my children (all teens and older) saw the previews in theater.

Jack is the voice of Po, an undisciplined, out of shape Panda that must save the day.This animated film will keep audiences entertained with the story line and the animation.

This writer however only sees the true form of Jack Black. I do not believe it was by accident that a Panda was chosen as his character. In my humble opinion, Po is Jack Black in actual animated form.

Jack is 38 years old. Give him a few more weeks and he will be 39.

"While at UCLA, he was a member of Tim Robbins's acting troupe and it was through this collaboration that led to his 1992 film debut in Bob Roberts (1992). Although he was just a background voice in his first film, Jack's appearances in such television shows as "The X Files" (1993), his breakthrough performance in High Fidelity (2000), and his rock-comedy band Tenacious D have created an ever-growing cult following." (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0085312/bio) His humble beginnings could not have prepared the world for the Jack Black Phenomenon.

Jack's contributions to the film industry include, but is not limited to being a composer, writer, producer and actor. Rumor has it that women are gaga over this near middle aged man. Personally the stretchy pants in Nacho Libre killed any dormant cell in my body that might consider waking up and falling for this guy.

His parental gene pool gave him the wit (smarts) he uses often in the film making industry. The heredity factor fell quite short when giving him natural instincts on how to effectively use this gift. Perhaps the parents lost the "user guide"at the hospital. I am not against Jack Black. I think one should approach his work as one would approach a rattle snake or the plague...with extreme caution. I leave most of his films alone, but the older teens and adult children in our family seem to find a warped sense of true reality in his work.

Kung Fu Panda however is a film I would recommend for the family to watch. With vocal talents like Angelina Jolie, Jackie Chan, Lucy Liu and Dustin Hoffman (all serious actors), this movie hit number one in the box office the weekend it was released. I am fairly sure the DVD release will rake in high sales. It's cute, it's funny, it actually has a point, so go watch Jack Black in his true identity as Po, the Kung Fu Panda. It's 88 minutes long and is rated PG.



Return to the Neighborhood

Isn't life funny in that what you so carefully plan out for yourself, seems rarely to happen the way it is planned. This summer was to have been a fast moving action filled summer scheduled with girls camp, art camp, family reunion, boating and fishing. All of that was for June. This schedule was planned as skillfully as choreography in a musical is planned.

Enter one emergency surgery. Out the window goes the elegant meal planning for guest. No longer is the routine bulletin easily completed. Laundry becomes the stereo-typical mountainous chore that has depressed women from the beginning of time. Nothing is on schedule. The train has derailed and the station is no where in sight.

"Return With Honor" is such a story. Rowe McDonald returns home from his mission with everything figured out for his life. On the way home he is in a car wreck. He has a vision and is told he has sixty days to finish his mission.

All the plans he made for his life are no longer viable options. Rowe must decide what is more important for him to accomplish in his life. Should he go ahead and marry his sweetheart, knowing they won't have much time together? Does it matter whether or not one relationship is repaired while another suffers? Rowe begins to see and understand that most of the things in this life is just "stuff". When you get right down to it, it is family and relationships that are important and there is no room for selfishness in either one of them.

Rowe focuses on forgiveness and acceptance of people just as they are. No more are petty nuances of personality and shortcomings fore front in sizing up a persons character. Rowe begins to see and love people as he believes Christ would see them.

Rowe confides with one individual about his life expectancy count down. They comfort each other as good-byes are said. Life becomes "real" and Rowe can say good-bye with ease as he prepares not to wake up on D-day.

This movie is so touching. I have only begun to glimpse the truth of accepting people as they are instead of how we think they ought to be. When schedules are disrupted, it may be Heavenly Father telling us to slow down. Maybe we need to re-analyze who should be a priority in our life.

A Bishop's conversation about whether or not sex is all that it is purported to be, should have parents discussing whether or not their children are old enough to hear that conversation. It is an appropriate and wonderfully presented conversation for teenagers, but perhaps too mature for elementary age children.

The next time life gets away from you, take a couple of hours to watch this wonderful film on what priorities ought to be in the foreground.

Return to the Neighborhood.