Everyone in Dallas-Fort Worth has spent four days slipping and sliding on the ice that has coated the region, so it's only logical that, just as the ice starts to melt, Klyde Warren Park will finally introduce its long buzzed-about ice skating rink on Friday, December 13.
We kid, of course; it's purely coincidence that the deck park would choose this of all times to tempt people with the fun entertainment option, because it's been in the works for months.
Besides, the park isn't even bringing in real ice: The 32-by-100-foot skating rink, which will be placed on the lawn in front of the children’s park, is made out of a synthetic ice skating surface called Super-Glide. The eco-friendly surface lets skaters glide just as smoothly as on real ice.
The other benefit of a synthetic skating surface is that skaters can enjoy it no matter if it's 20 degrees or 70 degrees, which is a real possibility given Texas' mercurial weather.
The rink is scheduled to be open December 13 through February 2. Hours are Monday-Thursday, 11 am-8 pm; Friday-Saturday, 10 am–10 pm; and Sunday, noon-6 pm. Anyone who owns ice skates can use the rink for free; skate rentals are $5 per person on weekdays and $10 on weekends.
Park officials will celebrate the opening of the rink with free skate rentals on December 13 and free skating lessons on December 14-15. Additionally, skating will be free every Tuesday thanks to a sponsorship from El Centro College.
Skaters will be able to take in the grandeur of the park's Christmas tree while they skate.
Photo courtesy of Klyde Warren Park
Skaters will be able to take in the grandeur of the park's Christmas tree while they skate.
The career of actor Chris Hemsworth is a curious one, as it feels like he’s a huge star (mostly from playing Thor in Marvel movies) and not at the same time, with most of the non-MCU movies featuring him in a lead role failing to become big successes. But he still has a certain presence about him, which is why he’s being given another chance to prove his star power in the new thriller, Crime 101.
Hemsworth plays Davis, a talented thief who knows how to get what he wants without resorting to violence. When a job early in the movie turns slightly sideways, it makes him think twice about working with his handler (Nick Nolte), who seems to prefer someone with a stronger touch, like the up-and-coming Ormon (Barry Keoghan).
Davis is the main character, but two others who come into his orbit get their own subplots. Lou (Mark Ruffalo) is a slightly schlubby LAPD detective who’s convinced he knows the pattern of an unknown thief that likes to hit places close to Highway 101. Sharon (Halle Berry) works for a high-end insurance agency known for working with ultra-wealthy clients, the types who might be a great target for a thief like Davis.
Written and directed by Bart Layton, the film has a decent propulsion to it that comes with most crime thrillers. Davis and Ormon represent the yin and the yang of criminal approaches, and and it’s interesting to see the juxtaposition between the two as their simmering rivalry heats up over the course of the film. When the film commits to actually showing its crimes, it has an excitement that’s worth watching.
Unfortunately, Layton displays a real lack of focus, taking the audience into subplots with each of the three main characters that prove unnecessarily distracting. Lou’s marriage problems may explain his disheveled appearance, but there’s no need to see him deal with them with wife Angie (Jennifer Jason Leigh). Sharon’s troubles with her male-dominated company prove slightly pivotal, but still don’t merit the time put into exploring them.
The most baffling subplot is Davis pursuing a relationship with Maya (Monica Barbaro), a woman he randomly meets. At different points in the movie, including many of his interactions with Maya, Davis seems like the most uncomfortable, antisocial person in the world. And yet he somehow morphs into a suave smooth-talker who’s able to convince anyone to do what he wants at other key points, making it unclear exactly what kind of person he really is.
Hemsworth does relatively well in the lead role, but he’s still missing that certain something to make his character, and therefore the movie, truly compelling. The rest of the cast is fine, too, but each of them seem to be putting in just the minimal amount of effort to make the film watchable. Ruffalo and Barbaro come off the best, but with the talent in the cast (11 Oscar nominations and one win), they could have been used better.
Crime 101 has most of the ingredients to be another great entry in the genre, and it succeeds when it actually decides to deliver on its promise. But too much of the film is spent on things that have no real bearing on plot or character development, leaving the movie in the middle of the pack.
