Review: 21 (Movie)

I find it really ironic when Hollywood gets on a soap box to preach about morals to me. The same industry that brings you movies like "Italian Job" and "Ocean's Eleven/Twelve/Thirteen" pumps out this adaptation of a book, which in turn was based (loosely) on the real events of a MIT Blackjack card counting team. If you've seen the trailer, you've seen the movie. Basically, a MIT undergraduate needs money for Harvard Med and is allured to go to Las Vegas every weekend to systematically win at the game of Blackjack. He gets a little cocky (MIT student? imagine that...), and ends up getting caught by Morpheus the leader of the casino's "Loss Prevention" unit, played by Laurence Fishburne. The movie then preaches about the wrongs of "stealing" from a Casino. Something doesn't add up here. Let's look at the scenario:

Vegas Rep: So making a movie about Vegas huh?
21 Movie Makers: Yup, it's about a team that takes Vegas for millions.
VR: Holy Crap! Well, let's not have it for millions, how about "hundreds of thousands". (Slips 21MM cash)
21MM: Oh well, okay. It's about a team that takes Vegas for hundreds of thousands.
VR: Oh cool, well, they aren't good guys are they?
21MM: Of course, the audience will be pulling for the 4.0 MIT Student to get into Harvard Med, or else he's RUINED! As you know, a 4.0 at MIT is worthless unless it's getting into Harvard Med.
VR: Well, let's have him get a scholarship instead, eh?
21MM: Uh, then we wouldn't have a movie. That would be boring.
VR: Hmm, you're right. Okay, he can win big by card counting, but then show him all sorry and getting caught by the "eyes in the sky", letting down his friends and family because he's counting cards and then getting even with the professor who tempted him to try and beat Vegas. (Slips 21MM cash).
21MM: Hey I like that idea!

The movie itself goes a minute short of being too long, but crams balances drama, comedy, romance, high jinx capers, and foot chases within that time. As a soon-to-be family man, I feel obliged to warn everyone of a 20 second "passion scene" that doesn't get too steamy (no naughty bits), but I could tell they edited it down to get the PG-13 rating.

Overall, it's an okay story-telling flick that feels as fabricated as Las Vegas.

Rating: **1/2

Review: Red Lobster Restaurant

Growing up, my mother made Red Lobster sound sooooo decadent. Apparently, it was the nicest place to take a date, etc. Well that may be true if you want to impress your date with dollar signs. But, beyond the priceyness of the food, Red Lobster churns out food that is comparable to a nice, upscale Long John Silver's.

Granted in the middle of Oklahoma, or any other land-locked state, the seafood isn't going to be spectacular. But I think it shouldn't taste like it just came from under the heat lamp.

I took my wife there for birthday celebrations and we split the Lobster Lover's Dream. Hitting the wallet at $29.50, this plate comes with two lobster tails, shrimp pasta Alfredo and a "side". We chose mashed potatoes. One of the lobster tails was chewy, almost gummy, and our mashed potatoes obviously had been powder mere minutes before our order. The shrimp Alfredo seemed to be the only redeeming value on the plate. Our dessert was the Apple Cinnamon pie with ice cream, drizzled with caramel. Palate cleansing for sure, but not to die for.

To ease the pain of losing $15 - $30 on an entree, the nice staff brings you the famous Red Lobster garlic cheese biscuits. I liked the biscuits, they had more flavor than the lobster. But again, perhaps the downfall of Red Lobster in our case is that it's landlocked and the cooking talent for seafood isn't exactly native to Oklahoma.

Rating: ***

Review: Ted's Cafe Escondido Mexican Restaraunt

Word of mouth in the Oklahoma City area dictates that Ted's Cafe Escondido is one of the best, if not the best place for Mexican. In general I agree, but I think one has to be careful in not allowing the free chips, salsa, queso, warm tortillas, (*inhale*) and sopapillas detract from the actual quality of the food. It may be the case that free food tastes better, but not everything is free at Ted's. In fact, if you don't order an entree, there is a $5.99 charge for the you-didn't-order-so-these-are-no-longer-complimentary items. But I admit they make the entree that much better.
I ordered the Plato Gordo which is a three course dinner feast. At $15.99, the meal consisted of enough food to last a couple of days, much less one sitting. First course, a taco with your choice of hard or soft shell, chicken or beef. This comes with a generous portion of sour cream and guacamole, no extra charge. Second course, enchilada with your choice of filling (chicken, beef or cheese) and then a stuffed bell pepper called Chile Relleno, with you guessed it, your choice of filling. The food was great and I feel they put a bit more attention to detail into the food than other Mexican places in the area.

The staff was awesome, period. I never asked for a refill on drinks and as long as we were waiting for our meal, we never saw the bottom of the tortilla chip basket. Tables looked about 75% capacity, though I have seen them at 100% and when that happens, expect a 45-60 minute wait, which is every weekend.
Overall, a cozy, friendly, above average Mexican joint. And yes, they do birthdays.

Rating: ****1/2

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