Movie Review - Salt

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Summer is a great time for all of the blockbuster movies to be released. If you are looking to spending a hot summer day indoors, and want a fast, exciting, and suspenseful movie, consider watching Salt.

Salt stars Angelina Jolie and Liev Schreiber. Jolie plays Evelyn Salt, a CIA operative who is sworn to protect and defend her country. She is tested when a defector accuses her of being a Russian sleeper spy that has been activated to murder the Russian president who is in New York.

She goes on the run, evading capture and trying to prove her innocence. She heads for New York to foil the assassination plot and clear her own name. During her journey, she also tries to discover the truth behind her identity and has a lot of internal struggles.

Liev Schreiber plays Ted, her best friend and close confidante at the agency. He refuses to believe that she is a double agent and tries to restrain the agent in charge of bring Salt into custody. Thus ensues a cat and mouse chase that is much in line with Jason Bourne.

What could have been a predictable and far fetched plot, is made better by Jolie's incredible performance. So, if you want to step out of your own life and into a suspenseful fictional world, this is the movie for you. However, bear in mind that this is entertainment. If you are looking for a movie that mirrors real life, this is not a movie you are likely to enjoy.

The Karate Kid 2010 Movie - How to Watch it With Your Children

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There has been a fair bit of controversy surrounding the Karate Kid Movie 2010. Despite the debate as to whether this film is suitable for children to view, many youngsters will see it. As a kids karate sensei, I would like to make suggestions on how to view this movie, and how to discuss it with your child.
First off, violence sells in Hollywood. MMA is so popular because people want to see real fighting action, maybe even someone getting hurt. Sometimes more violence than necessary is shown to make a movie dramatic and sell tickets. The consequences of such violence are not shown either. Missing teeth, broken bones and other serious injuries are not portrayed accurately by Hollywood because it is too gory. The pain and trauma is also not shown because it is too confronting to viewers.
Realize that fighting is not the way to solve our problems. There are many better ways of resolving conflict other than violence, and the first is communication-talking it over. Could the differences between the characters in this movie have been resolved in a better way?
The bullies in this movie, like the original Karate Kid Movie, trained in dojos that taught glorification of violence. This is extremely rare in the martial arts world, but it makes the movie more dramatic, because there has to be a bad guy in this story to make it interesting. The vast majority of martial arts instructors teach respect and avoidance of violence.
The tournament in this movie, just like the first, is not even close to what an actual martial arts tournament is like. Realise there are rules in tournaments and they are designed to prevent injury. There is also mandatory protective equipment worn in tournaments. If tournaments were run like this no one would ever attend them.
Look for good in this movie. Try to find lessons to be learned about life in the story. Try to put yourself in the different actors' positions in this movie and see where they are coming from. Is there peer pressure amongst the bullies? Was the bully brainwashed by his instructor? Was he racist? Who taught him to be racist?
Try to see how another culture lives from day to day. Remember, different is not always better or worse-it is just different, and that differences in language, food, and customs is what makes life interesting. How interesting would the world be if we were all the same? Look for common threads as well, as there are many western influences in China today. Is the western way of life always the best? Look for the beauty in the scenic sense, and also in the people and how they live. Remember, the martial arts originated in this part of the world.
What lessons did you learn from this movie?

Australia's Youth Self Defence Karate was founded in 1994 by Kenpo Freestyle 5th Degree Black Belt, Matt Klein. After arriving from the U.S., Matt noticed a great need for fun and affordable activities for children in Sydney. He opened the first club specializing in martial arts for kids in Australia. The classes became an instant hit, with their high-energy, fun, and non-intimidating atmosphere.