Bear In the Summer

The day couldn't have been nicer when I rolled out of bed this morning. It was cool enough for me to make Mini Chocolate Chip Cookies after breakfast. Finished out the Lion Guard DVD while I worked. While Fuli overexerts herself doing mission after mission, the rest of the Guard goes on "The Search for Utamu," that is, a special kind of grub found only during the rainy season. Bunga tells the guys how he first met Timon and Puumba when they were looking for the grub. But even grub-hunting takes a backseat when a friend is in danger. A pack of vultures wants to take advantage of Fuli's exhaustion to pick her bones, unless her friends can come to her rescue.

Kion learns to "Never Judge a Hyena By Its Spots" when he gets lost in the Outlands and makes friends with Jasiri, a cute girl hyena, who helps him out. He in turn helps her when she's attacked by male hyenas who don't like her clan encroaching on their turf. Meanwhile, the rest of the Lion Guard try to find their way to the meeting place at Flat Rock...and realize just how effective of a leader Kion is when their leading skills prove to be less-than-sterling.

Spent the rest of the morning writing. Backtracked to write a scene where Ben takes off with Chirruit, Baze, and Bodhi to shut down the Coruscant Armory's security systems and main gate. Luke doesn't want him to go, but he insists that this is a scoop Luke has to get on his own. Meanwhile, the others try to figure out how to free the sword from the gun casing. Luke claims he can "feel" the crystals, and that they're calling to him...

Broke for lunch at quarter of 2. Ran Rikki Tikki Tavi while I ate and got organized. Rikki Tikki Tavi is a mongoose who was adopted by a little British boy in India in the early 1900's. A cobra couple who live in the garden, Nag and Nagara, want the humans out of their home and try to kill them. Rikki manages to kill Nag and destroy most of their eggs, but Nagara is still out there, seeking revenge on Rikki's family.

Work was absolutely no problem whatsoever. For one thing, it was too nice for most people to go shopping. It was sunny, windy, and in the lower 80's when I was outside doing carts. I did some cleaning when I came in, rounded up trash and recycling, and some bagging, but I mostly gathered carts and baskets. It did pick up a bit later in the evening, but not to the point things got too crazy.

Having had dinner at work, I went straight into Lego Clone Wars when I got home. Went back to "Castle of Doom" and did the Free Play for that. This time, I got all but two pieces.

Finished the night with Paddington 2. Paddington (voice of Ben Whishaw) has settled in nicely at his new home in Windsor Gardens, London, with the Browns. His Aunt Lucy's 100th birthday is coming up, and he wants badly to buy her a beautiful pop-up book of London. After a series of jobs, he does manage to earn the money...but shows up at the shop just as it's stolen. He chases the thief, but he gets away, and Paddington is the one who ends up in jail. While the Browns try to figure out who is the real thief and why he wants the pop-up book, Paddington makes several friends in prison, including the prison chef Knuckles. They're the ones who eventually help Paddington escape and return to the Browns to find the real thief...and prove to everyone at Windsor Gardens what a big impact on their lives this little bear has made.

Awww. I think I liked this one even better than the previous movie. The story is somewhat closer to the books, the special effects are impressive (check out Mrs. Brown and Paddington underwater in the finale), and the action is worked in more organically than the tacked-on taxidermy plot from the original film. Hugh Grant in particular was having a blast as hammy actor Phoenix Buchanan, who also seems to be interested in the pop-up book.

I'm a bit surprised this one didn't do as well here in the US as the first did. It definitely deserves much better than it got in theaters. If your family is a fan of the books or the first movie, or are just looking for good family entertainment, this is one is absolutely worth checking out.