Takers (Movie Review - 2010)

This past weekend my girl and I went to go see Takers. I felt a little late to the game, because a number of my friends had already seen it and told me it was great! This can sometimes work as a positive, but also a negative. Yes, I wanted to see this movie, the previews looked good and I had heard good things. BUT, I knew I would now be walking into the movie with very high expectations, which can usually lead to disappointment.

First let me say…I was NOT disappointed, I was very pleased with the movie, and wouldn’t mind seeing it again. J

Takers, is about a group of five very talented bank robbers who have been successfully robbing one bank a year for about 7-10 years. They have executed each robbery to such perfection that the police have no clue how they are do it or how to capture them. There has only been one mistake, in 2004, Ghost (played by T.I) was shot and arrested during a robbery. He did not turn on his co-conspirators, but did his time in silence.

The movie opens to a bank robbery in progress. The seasoned team executes the robbery and escape using a helicopter, throwing everyone so off the trail so that they appear unstoppable. The team is made up of the leader, Gordon (played by Idris Elba), John (played by Paul Walker), A.J (played by Hayden Christensen) and two brothers Jake (played by Michael Ealy) and Jesse (played by Chris Brown).  After an action filled robbery and escape, the team celebrates their latest heist at Jake’s night club. Playing it safe, they contact their accountant and move the money out of the country to have it cleaned while they lay low and live a life of luxury for the next year, until they plan the next heist.

However, Ghost, their former teammate, is released from prison just a few weeks after their most resent robbery and comes back to find that the team no longer trust him, his girlfriend Rachel is engaged to Jake and the team no longer seems to need him. Swallowing his anger for the betrayal, he moves forward with his own plans and convinces the group to strike an armored car carrying $20 million. The team, at first is apprehensive, but as A.J & Jesse draw out the plans, they realize that it is possible and decided to “cautiously” move forward with Ghost’s plan. Gordon and John watch Ghost at every turn, John watches through crosshairs, ready to take him down at just one word from Gordon, because something still doesn’t’ feel right about this heist.

Jake however is the most uneasy of the group. He is convinced that a year between robberies is the best way to go and he knows the police are still hot after the last attack, but no one realizes how hot. Two cops, Jake (played by Matt Dillion) and Eddie (played by Jay Hernandez) are determined to crack the case and bring these criminals to “justice”. Unbeknownst to the crew, the cops get closer and closer, figuring out that Gordon is in-fact part of the crew. To make matters worse, Gordon’s drug addicted sister, Naomi, has left rehab and gotten herself arrested by the police.

Jake’s unease was not in vain and one thing after another falls against the perfect crew as their meticulous plan begins to fall apart at every turn, and soon their world is crashing down around them.

I would love to say more, but this is one movie that I think you should watch to get the ending, you will not be disappointed. Takers provided action at every turn and the cast of actors, although unique, played very well together and did a wonderful job. There are a number of twists and turns that lead you to just rooting for the “bad guys” for a change. This movie is perfect for guys & girls, first dates and 20^th dates. It has love, romance, action, tension, lying, backstabbing and more. 

Bahamas FAM Trip 2010 - Saturday 8-28-10

Today we (my roommate and I) were both up again before the sun…and headed out into the cool morning to see if we could find a few good shots of the sun rising, sadly…we couldn’t see anything over the buildings and trees. But we did get to see something that many on our trip didn't, we got to see the resort when it was at total peace. You couldn't hear a thing...it was complete silence and it was amazing.

Unable to see the sun rise, and before we got eaten to death by the mosquitoes, they seemed to have smelt our blood and were quick to rise and attack up. We headed back to the room and got ready, pack up and meet everyone for breakfast at 7:30, although this time we were not the first ones…we did pull in a close 2nd.  During breakfast we had an overview of the days activates including flying to George Town, Exuma.  

Being that this was my first time in the Bahamas since I was knee high to a boll weevil I considered this my first time. I remember things, bits and pieces from before, but this time, i will remember forever.Through out the whole trip Guillaume, our pilot, had kept telling me…just wait until you see Exuma…you will love it, it is beautiful there....blah blah blah. And of course, I had loved everything so far, so I wasn’t expecting much. I figured it was just another beautiful island that would make me stand back and think...I am never taking another one of my vacation back in the  mid-west :)

We took the ferry and the taxi back to the airport, and I swear it went quicker heading back. Our group was the first to get to the airport, and one of the first to take off. I was excited again, until Guillaume scared the living crap out of me. As we were taking off, he said to us, "I am going to do a low take off so they can get some good pictures of us." I was cool with that, but what he didn’t tell us was that he was suddenly going to bank to the left! I screamed…thankfully my headset wasn’t by my mouth or I may have deafened everyone in the plane! It was great…better than a rollercoaster ride, once my stomach finally stopped spinning.

 

After takeoff we made a pit stop in Marsh Harbor where we fueled up before the longer leg of the flight.

This time we did formation flying with a Piper and this time he did a LOT more turns and dives then before…by the time we landed I was ready to fall over…was fun as hell, but it had been hot and I may…or may not have been a little bit hung over.

We were meet by Rhonda Ingraham and loaded onto buses and taken to Palm Bay Resort.  And I must say…Guillaume didn’t lie, Exuma was beautiful! . It seemed that the Grand Bahamas Ministry of Tourism had saved the best for last. The ocean looked like a Photoshop magazine spread. You could hardly tell where the teal ocean met the cloudless blue sky. Everyone was already anticipating the cool ocean water after the hot flight.

Walking up to the Palm Bay Resort did not do them justice; it was not until you walked out the back and headed for the villa that you realized the true beauty of the location. The Resort faced east and the sun sent its reflection running over the motionless ocean.  Everyone was pulled between the idea of lunch and the idea of a dip in the waters. Sadly, at Palm Bay Resort, my roommate and I got split up because the AC in our room and broken, so we each ended up with our own villa’s. Ok, maybe it wasn’t so sad…I rather enjoyed it! I had the BIGGEST bed. If I could have taken that home with me, I would have.  And the rooms were amazing, and I would love to go back oneday.

We all dropped our stuff off and we were loaded back onto a bus as then caught ferry’s out to Stocking Island. Pulling up to Stocking Island made you want to stay and never leave. It was a true Caribbean location and feel. The Grand Bahamas Ministry of Tourism had a winner stopping at that island and not a single person in the group wanted to leave when the time came.
We had lunch at Chat N’ Chill where I had the best hot sauce every.  I should have bough some to bring back with me! While on Stocking Island, we got to watch them make Conch Salad, go snorkeling, and even feed and pet sting rays. I so touched a sting ray! It was awesome!!! hehe

*Yes Yes I know that is how that crazy Australian dude died…but really…if you had the opportunity to do it…wouldn’t you??

By 4:30 we were heading back to the resort where we had time before dinner to relax. A lot of people took naps or relaxed, but most of us hit up the pool and bar. A few of the pilots who had won bottle of Fire in the Hole busted them out and we all got a nice buzz going on before dinner.

At 7 Lisa and I went back and got ready for dinner at Splash (the resort bar and restaurant) and the evening activates. The dinner was delicious and after dinner the Grand Bahamas Tourist office pressed awards (yah me!! I got one..ok, yes I am a dork) and jackets to the Flying Ambassadors.

Being that it was Guillaume & Pete’s birthday…2 cakes were brought out for everyone.

 

After dinner a few of us decided to take advantage of our last night and spend it in the pool but exhaustion and constant running soon took the best of me, and I was off to bed for the early departure home the next day.

And again…even though I was in a new place and a new bed…I slept great!!!


I must admit that this was one of the best trips I have been on in a while. I meet some of the most amazing people and truly enjoyed myself. I did so many things that I had never done before that heading back into the office on Monday made me want to cry! 

Bahamas FAM Trip 2010 - Friday 8-27-10

Today I was up before the sun, ok, I was up with the sun. My roommate, Lisa, and I were up at 6 am watching the sun rise. We were both ready and down for breakfast by 7 am. After a quick breakfast we had about an 2 hours before the bus arrived to take us back to the airport. We decided to spend the time running around the local shops, but since nothing was open we went over and enjoyed an hour walking along the beautiful beach!

But before we had even begun to enjoy the beauty of Port Lucaya we were back off, and this time, we were heading for Treasure Cay, Abaco. Second time and it was just as fun as the first, but this time we did some formation flying with the Cessna 421. It was awesome…we were so close to the other plane that we could actually see the people inside taking pictures and waving!

By the time we landed in MYAT, I was in the best mood! But then again…I had been in a wonderful mood all day! We were meet by Melinda Williams who broke us up into taxies groups and put us on Taxies that we took over to a ferry. From there we took a short ferry ride over to Green Turtle. The water was cool and brilliantly blue and everyone was taking advantage of the beautiful photo opportunities.

If I thought Grand Bahama looked amazing…it just keep getting better, pulling up to Green Turtle was breathtaking, and to be honest, I wish we would have had more time on the island. I would have love to take a day to go diving with the world renown Brendal Stevens from Brendal’s Dive Center…but time was already ticking by to fast!

Lisa and I were the first ones to the check out counter, we were both bubbling with energy and ready to go. We checked in and went to our room…it was adorable! Seriously!! The resort was in fact just small cottages that ran along the coast line. Each one over looked the beautiful bay. Entering the resort was like entering a page in a travel magazine, the resort representatives were friendly and helpful. The beds were beautiful, the view was stunning and I think I could have easily spent a week there, but we only had 30 min before we had to board the Prozac and take the hour ½ long boat round down the Abaco Out Island chain to Guana Cay.

The boat ride was beautiful. The water was warm and it was a great time to socialize and talk about past experiences in the Abacos. Pulling into Guana Cay was beautiful; tiny jelly fish were swimming all around the boat and fish were darting underneath the dock. We all got off the boat and began to make our way up to Nippers for lunch and drinks

Nippers was bright, colorful beach bar and grill, and it was quite a little hike to get there, but well worth it in the end. J They had an outside bar with tables overlooking the beach and ocean with two swimming pools and a gift shop. We got there and we were all ready to run down to the beach, get a drink and just enjoy the sun! Again, it felt like time was to short because before we knew it, lunch was served and we were already being herded back to the boat. Not to go home, but to go and learn about a really rich island, Breakers Cay, that are selling lots that I will never be able to afford….but I can dream.

After a short sales pitch from the representative, we were back on the boat and heading back to the resort. Ok, to be honest...a few of us took some of that time and instead of hearing about what we can't afford...jumped off the pier into the crystal clear ocean.

Before we even went back to our hotel room, Lisa and I stopped in the gift shop. I had to pick up a shot glass for my every growing collection. But as soon as we got back to our hotel room, Lisa and I both showered and got ready for dinner. Ok to be honest, I showered, got dressed for dinner…then put my bathing suit back on and went to the beach again with our pilot while Lisa was in the shower. Something about that water calls to you and you just want to spend all day and night relaxing in it. After a quick dip…I went back…showered yet again and got ready for dinner. This time I stayed dressed...but I wasn't happy about it...until the drinks came!

We had a happy hour at the restaurant at the resort and watched a video from the last few years on the trip.  Soon dinner was served and we all sat down to eat. I had the lobster tail J Yum!!


After dinner, the pilots were given the opportunity to tell their “best” story and if the crowd liked it, they got a bottle of Fire in da Hole bottle of rum! All the pilots gave great stories and before long everyone was laughing and having a wonderful time. Although all the stories were the best, I couldn’t help but laugh my ass off at Jeff’s story about running over a bold eagle.

After a late dinner (like 9:00 late) , the Miami boys, Guillaume, and I grabbed 2 golf carts and went into down town Treasure Cay. The golf cart ride was just fun, we took a little detour and went down to the beach! It was a blast. Finally we arrived at a bar…I wanna say Pineapples (but don’t hold me too it) were we meet up with a bunch of other people from our group. After very little persuasion Jeff and Guillaume stripped down to their skivvies and jumped into the pool for a late night swim.

After dancing and drinking a few Goombay Smash’s we headed back to the hotel and called it a night

And again…even though I was in a new place…I slept VERY well!

Bahamas FAM Trip 2010 - Thursday 8-26-10

Today was the first day of the Familiarization Trip to the Bahamas, and I didn’t sleep at all the night before; my nerves were going crazy since it was going to be my first time in a general aviation aircraft. I hitched a ride to SheltAir, the FBO at FLL and was the first one there. I hung around and waited for the rest of the 40+ people to show up. Usually I am a sociable butterfly, but being in a room full of people I didn’t know at 8:30 am when they all pretty much know each other had me resigned to the corner until my boss and co-worker, Lisa, arrived.

Before pairing off and taking off, we had a short debriefing from Greg Rolle from the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism. I was still nervous. I have done the commercial jets, tons of times, heck I basically lived in them for a while, but this is a plane that seats 4 people! WAY DIFFERENT! AND to make matters worse, our pilot had yet to show up. So there is me, pacing the room, freaking out internally (and a little externally) because I believe there is a saying. “When the pilot doesn’t show, it is usually a bad sign” and if there isn’t such a saying…there really should be!!! Because seriously...

Since time was ticking by...everyone else went a head and left. Telling me, "oh, your pilot is on his way 20 min out". This left Lisa and I to continue and wait on our pilot, while I am screaming inside what the heck...where is he! Our pilot, who, because of some last minute changes was now running over an hour late! Yes, everyone had left about an HOUR ago! Not good considering the flight was only about 45 min long. Lisa found a great way to calm my nerves…Screw Drivers...gadda love that girl!!!

Just as we were about to catch a ride with some other pilots heading to Freeport, through the door comes our pilot, Guillaume. He apologizes for running late and explains the situation after introducing himself. He collects all of our information and passports and files our eAPIS, a must do when flying to the Bahamas, and in no time…we were off.

Walking onto the airfield was also different. The biggest plane out there was a Gulfstream (or something...I am still learning), which is still a baby in comparison to a commercial jet. There was no walking down that long runway tube and waiting for people to retardedly put up their bags, wonder around and try to find their seat and just basically act incompetent (I hate that about flying). We walked over to this plane that I swear you could have flown with a remote. But I swallowed about 45% of my fear and started getting excited. Being my first time, Lisa and Jean was nice enough to let me ride up front and nothing compare to the experience!!!! After Guillaume did a detailed check of the aircraft (of course I was watched like a hawk...I didn't feel like dying today) he gave us a overview of emergency exits, seat belts, etc….he called the tower and we started to taxi. The take off was spectacular…seeing the pilot actually take off…actually work…was fascinating. 

And I have to say…even if our pilot was late…he was great! He went out of his way to make sure that my first take off and landing went smooth. He made sure that I was comfortable and answered any questions that I had…and I always have a lot of questions!

On a side note – I am so proud of myself for not touching any of the buttons! Yah me!! And with all those buttons and knobs and stuff to pull, it really wasn't easy! I like to touch things...so the fact that I didn't touch a single one, well for anyone that knows me, knows I deserve a cookie!!!!

The flight was short, but Guillaume let me take the wheel…no…Yoke…yes that is right! That was so much fun!!! And I am proud of myself for not crashing us into the blue ocean below (I am pretty sure he did have the Auto Pilot on anyway). We were getting close to where the sea and ocean meets and he tells me "you are suppose to be going down"...I looked at him like he was a crazy man and I was thinking...I don't want to go towards the ocean! I wanna go away from the ocean!!!!

Landing in Freeport was great. We landed at Grand Bahamas Airport and when we touched down…I was not tossed around my seat, my stomach did not jump up to say hi to my tonsils, it was smooth and painless. Landing till that day had been the scariest thing for me when it comes to flying. I always had a little voice in my head as the wheels would touch down saying, please stop this gigantic plane before we run of the runway and die!

At Grand Bahama Airport we were greeted by a representative, line crew, a photographer…it was so much hustle n’ bussel. They took our bags and after a few snap shots they whisked us off to Customs, Right outside of customs the feel of the Bahamas was already in the air as we were greeted with Bahama Mamas and conch fitters. The passengers enjoyed the sun and music, while the pilot went inside and got everything settled. Going through customs was a breeze and soon we boarded a bus to The Radisson Our Lucaya Resort. The bus ride from the airport to the resort was short, but I was already bouncing around like a rabbit trapped in a cage. I wanted to get out and touch and see everything (I love going somewhere new). The driver gave a nice overview of the island (pointing out their KFC...hehe) and what it had to offer both pilots and tourists alike. Admittedly, I only payed attention to half of what he said, because looking out the window watching the city go by, you knew you were in the Bahamas. The houses were bright Caribbean colors of green, pink and blue. 

We checked in and my roommate, Lisa and I headed up to our room to drop off our bags before heading off to the Round Table seminar. Our room was on the 8^th floor and view were spectacular…and I am pretty sure it held us up as we took pictures of the view. It over looked the horse shoe pool that ran up to the ocean front. We took pictures of everything, the pool, the room, each other! Looking out over the pool and out into the ocean, gave me a since of freedom that I sometimes forget, loose and can’t find being trapped in the office all day.

We sat down for a nice working lunch, Greg Rolle ran the Round Table Seminar. Karen Seymour from the Grand Bahamas Ministry of Tourism greeted us and we went around the table introducing ourselves. Around that table were representatives from every inch of the general aviation industry, the melting pot of aviation movers and shakers that were on the trip was astounding.  After a presentation from James Turner the Commercial/Business Development Director for The Grand Bahama Airport. A number of the pilots/groups who lead fly-ins to the Bahamas had a lot to say about today’s reception at the airport…and almost all of it was positive feedback.

We got about 1 ½ hour for leisure time that Lisa and I took full advantage of, while we explored the island and did a little shopping (you know girls and shopping) before heading back to the airport where we got to have happy hour. I have drank AT an airport tons of times...what else do you do while waiting for your flight, but I have never drank ON an airport...next to the tower. This trip was full of a firsts for me!!! :) We even got to go up (in groups of 10) and take tours of the control tower. Being up in the tower...was again, another first for me. They went over how the manage the planes coming in and out of the airport. It was a lot of fun. The Grand Bahama Fire Department did a demonstration and everyone watched the sun set over the runway.


Note: Yah for me not touching any of the buttons...it was harder in the control tower then it had been in the plane. SO MANY SHINY BUTTONS!

After everyone had a chance to go into the tower, we headed back to the hotel where we could shower, and change before  heading to dinner at Luciano’s. Dinner was great…and besides our huge group that took up a majority of the restaurant there where a few other individuals that had come out to enjoy the beautiful evening in Port Lucaya.  We had a couple who where clearly in the fight of a lifetime. The girl was so mad at her boyfriend (I am sure for cheating). The boyfriend got a cappella group to come up an “serenade” her, it didn’t work, they didn’t say one word to each other the either dinner. We all keep looking over and talking about it :). It was rather humorous. The second couple that stood out, I guess I shouldn’t say "couple", was this very old gentleman who had obviously paid for the company of a very young and attractive "girl".

After dinner we walked back to the hotel and Guillaume, Lisa, the Miami boys and I went down to the pool and spent the last few hours before exhaustion would force us to sleep enjoying the cool breeze flowing off the ocean and the dark night sky that allowed us to see 2x as many stars as you could ever hope to see in south Florida.

That night…even though it was a strange bed in a new city…I slept amazing! :)