UltraNormal

Here's another weekend entertainment roundup:

• X2: X-Men United: Wow. I have to admit that I Nightcrawler was my favorite character as a kid. Alan Cumming was the perfect choice, and I thought he pulled off the character perfectly. The story was a lot of fun, and the little fanboy in-jokes were great. I was in fanboy heaven and can't wait for the third one. Letting Logan go crazy on the soldiers at the beginning was a brave choice for a PG-13 movie, and they pulled it up well - not too gory, but you knew the wounds were fatal. A great movie for anyone who ever read superhero comics, and not bad if you didn't (Jen liked it too).
• Spirited Away: The movie aside, this is the best English translation of the Japanese movie I've ever seen. It didn't feel dubbed like most do, and the voice acting was top-notch. Now, the movie is weird. It's really weird. But, unlike the other Miyazaki movies I've tried to watch (My Neighbor Totoro most recently), I loved this movie. The visuals were so beautiful, and the characters so fun, I was transported to a wonderful place. The story just washes over you and it's hard to think like an adult while it's going on. If you can turn off the grown-up part of the brain, this is a perfect movie.

I'll get back to the political stuff next week. Really, I will. Also, don't forget to nominate yourself and your friends for the ugly blog redesign contest.