Wow. All I can say about Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows is that this movie was EPIC. I’ll say it again … EPIC. What an amazing conclusion to a peerless book/movie franchise. I will admit that I did see HP7, part 2, twice in theaters, and yes, twice in 3D IMAX. Extravagant, I know, but so worth it.
So many of us grew up with the Harry Potter franchise, reading all the books (me, multiple times, in fact, I re-read each book prior to seeing any of the movies). I remember seeing Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone the other day on television, and thinking to myself, wow, Daniel Radcliffe is SO young and adorable. I can honestly say that watching the epic conclusion was an incredibly emotional journey.
As the part 2 installment of the final book, HP7 2 really picks up the pace and the action with the trio of friends working to locate the remaining horcruxes and defeat Voldemort before it is too late. Hogwarts is under the thumb of the Death Eaters with Snape as its headmaster, and Voldemort is on the cusp of complete world domination. Harry, Hermione and Ron make their way from Gringott’s and dragons all the way back to an epic finale at Hogwarts, in Harry’s words, to finish it the way they started it … “Together.”
You may recall my review of Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows, Part 1, where I said that the movie was comprised of many little bangs, and not really one big bang. Well, that was certainly rectified in this film. It couldn’t have been more exciting or action-filled! I actually cannot wait until I get HP7, 2 on DVD so that I can watch them one after the other in immediate succession.
The effects in this film (appearance of the Death Eaters, the wand magic, the flying, to name a few) were incredible. I was on the edge of my seat half the time. The other half I was back in my seat bawling my eyes out. But I won’t give that away. You’ll have to see for yourself. Definitely an emotional roller-coaster ride.
I had a few minor peeves. **Spoiler Alert** For example, I thought the death scenes in the end were too quick for some of the important surrounding characters, like Fred or Lupin and Tonks. They needed more time. I also think I missed something with the Malfoy family scene. I knew why Mrs. Malfoy lied about Harry being dead but it wasn’t really explained in the movie. It irritated me a bit when she just walks away with Draco in the end (in the book, they’re in the hall with everyone else). Also, I know other people have commented on this but we really needed more of Snape’s memories. He was critical to this last book/movie, and a little bit more effort should have been made to show what drove him, whether that was in more flashbacks or him asking Harry to see his eyes at the end (Lily’s eyes) which didn’t happen!! I liked the fight scene with Harry and Voldemort but where was everyone?? In the book, they fight in the middle of everybody in the great hall. I didn’t like the sudden scene switch after the fight to Harry appearing in the hall. Too jarring. My last pet peeve was not getting to see Lupin and Tonks’ son at the end along with everyone else in the epilogue. But that’s really just a minor annoyance.
Peeves aside, overall, Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows, part 2 was a great film and a very satisfying conclusion to the series for me. I loved the books, and I loved the movies. I’m sure I’ll be re-reading and re-watching all of them in the years to come. Potter fans will enjoy this film, hard-core fans will undoubtedly have issues with missing pieces from the books, and general movie lovers will likely love it.
Drumroll, please! Introducing the new Bloodspell Book Trailer!
Book teaser trailer for debut novelist Amalie Howard’s BLOODSPELL, an enthralling, sexy and dark urban fantasy novel set in richly imagined Maine, Paris, and New York. Full of supernatural creatures, magic, and forbidden romance, KQRS’ Brad Blanks called BLOODSPELL, “a love story at its core, but this book doesn’t lose sight of the fact that the worlds of witches and vampires are blood-thirsty and frightening.”
AVAILABLE JUNE 1, 2011
ISBN: 9781936782116
Langdon Street Press
The latest Deathly Hallows 2 trailer looks awesome! I’m seeing a few comments here and there that it doesn’t look like the book, but I’m hoping that the directors will take some cinematic license with this one – if only for the amazingly climactic and dramatic end-scene of this seven-book saga. I, for one, cannot wait!
As a surfer myself (yes, the surf on the Atlantic coast of Long Island is very surfable, although not as gnarly as the waves in Bells Beach, Australia), I felt compelled to go see Soul Surfer. The ratings on the Rotten Tomatoes tomatometer weren’t exactly inspiring at 53%, but I went with the audience goers on this one … who voted it a whopping 87%! And they were right!
This film is about faith, family, strength, and the resilience of the human spirit. It is the true story of competitive Hawaiian junior surfer, Bethany Hamilton, who lost her arm to a 14-foot tiger shark on Kauai’s North Shore at just thirteen years old. I remember reading about her story on the news years ago with horror, if only because I thought she wouldn’t be able to surf (or go into the water) ever again. But Bethany proved many people, including myself, wrong. Not only did she go right back into the water a month after her attack, she went on to win the NSSA National Championship barely over a year later in 2005.
From a movie perspective, I really enjoyed watching this film. The surfing and spectacular cinematography were awesome to watch, and I really fell for the tightly-knit and well-grounded Hamilton family. Dennis Quaid and Helen Hunt were incredible as the cool but caring parents, and Anna Sophia Robb was perfect as the young Bethany. The story was well-paced and kept me interested from start to finish. I felt emotionally connected to all of the characters, who had terrific and believable chemistry, including Bethany’s brothers and her best friend. On a teeny side note, the only character I didn’t really feel was Carrie Underwood who seemed very stilted next to the fluidity of some of the more seasoned cast members.
I loved at the end of the movie when Bethany was asked by a news reporter whether she would have gone surfing if she could go back to that day, and she responded that she wouldn’t change what happened because she has embraced so many more people with one arm than she ever could have with two. I may very well have welled up at that moment. But my favorite part of it all was the footage of the real Bethany Hamilton when the credits were rolling! She’s truly an inspiration to anyone who has faced or is facing tragedy or adversity of any kind, whether it’s big or small.
Great film with a solid cast and a timeless uplifting story, and one that I would recommend wholeheartedly for anyone. I’m going to buy a copy for myself when it comes out, it’s that good in my opinion. And boy, do I feel like surfing right now! Although, the thought of putting on a wetsuit, fleece rashie, hood, booties, and gloves is a little daunting. Maybe I’ll wait for late Spring!
Garnering a pretty decent rating of 71% on the Rotten Tomatoes tomatometer, I was excited to see a film that was reminiscent of both Dark Angel and La Femme Nikita. I mean who wouldn’t want to see some genetic experiment gone awry with a gun-slinging, ass-kicking sixteen-year-old out for some serious retribution against those responsible? Ok, maybe just me, but you’ll only get that much from the Hanna trailer, which portrays this film as an all-out action film. Instead, this film is far more than that — because it involves a whole lot more than just retribution, the entire film is a journey … Hanna’s journey to be exact, and her tentative discovery of the world after spending all of her life being raised in some remote forest. Sure, she’s out for blood, but we see the world through her eyes as she navigates the foreign territory of “real” life.
We see her make unlikely friends, almost kiss a boy for the first time (but not quite), escape killer pursuers, and discover beauty in music and dance. The actress who played Hanna, Saoirse Ronan from The Lovely Bones, was spectacular in managing to convey a sense of childlike innocence in tandem with the cold ruthlessness of a born soldier. She was vulnerable yet tough as nails all on one, which was at times quite disturbing. Her emotions were so raw that you felt each one of them. To me, it was an interesting juxtaposition — her complete lack of emotion with a gun compared to the tremulous intensity of a moment when a friend gives her an unexpected friendship bracelet.
This is why it reminded me so much of Dark Angel – the story of a girl genetically enhanced to become a stronger and better soldier, but who rebels against her creators, and tries to find her own way in the world by making friends and having to trust new people. Like Dark Angel, Hanna is an incredibly strong and independent character, but she’s also a slave to the way she has come into the world and the brutal way she has been trained to survive in it. There’s a scene in the movie where Hanna tells her father (Erik played by Eric Bana), “you never prepared me for this,” and you just get the sense that she’s talking about life as a whole and about fitting in … perhaps being normal, which is something she will likely never be.
Visually, Hanna is beautifully filmed, with scenes shot on location in Europe and Morocco, and showcases a lot of European and Moroccan culture which was very cool. Although there wasn’t much complexity in the plot itself (it’s pretty thin actually), Hanna is an interesting, poignant film with many emotional layers that had me thinking about it long after I’d seen it. Great soundtrack by The Chemical Brothers! I’d rate Hanna four out of five stars.
Rated at 89% on the Rotten Tomatoes tomatometer, Disney‘s Tangled didn’t disappoint, even though I waited to see this one on DVD. Tangled, the remake of the story of Rapunzel, was terrific, and full of fun, excitement, and laughs. It’s a great movie for both children and adults, incorporating childish slapstick humor with some more sophisticated jokes and realistic facial expressions. Some of the funniest and best moments came from Pascal (the chameleon) and Maximus (the horse who behaves like a bloodhound), and they have no lines in the movie at all – it’s all pure expression!
Everything seemed to come together perfectly in this story – the romance, the adventure, the music, the visuals, the humor, the story, and the characters. I found both the hero and the heroine to be equally likable, which was cool, as normally I usually favor one or the other. Mandy Moore was superb as Rapunzel, and conveyed the perfect mix of innocence and cheekiness. And Flynn was just awesome! I was dying laughing when Flynn tried to do his signature “smolder” to get his way and Rapunzel’s facial expression basically said “Huh? What the heck is wrong with you?” Hilarious!
The scene with the floating lanterns was one of the most magical parts of the movie for me! That was just gorgeously done. I really felt the emotion of the king and queen, who were really just peripheral characters when they were releasing the first lantern. And I especially loved the reunion in the end when the lost princess finally returns home. I am not ashamed to admit that I may have had a tear or two well up during this movie.
The only thing that didn’t really work for me was the fake mother/Gothel – I kept expecting her to go all evil ballistic and she didn’t seem to really explode at any given point (like Ursula in the Little Mermaid). At some points, she actually sounded like she really did care about Rapunzel. I needed her to be scarier. But maybe that’s just me.
I adored this movie, and would recommend it to movie fans of all ages. I’d probably rate it four and a half out of five stars, which means I’m more than likely going to buy my own copy for my movie collection. Great Disney flick, this one is as good as any of Pixar’s.
I went into Red Riding Hood with very little expectations, given the incredibly low rating on the Rotten Tomatoes tomatometer (a dismal 12% if you’re wondering). But I still wanted to see it because it’s about werewolves after all! I am also a huge fan of Amanda Seyfried. So despite the ratings, I still felt that the potential was definitely there…the potential for this to be a gripping retelling of the old fairy tale. However, in the end and as much as I’d hoped for it to be awesome, Red Riding Hood‘s biggest downfall was that it just tried to be too many things instead of focusing on one element and running with it. By that, I mean that it tried to cover all the genres – horror, romance, fantasy, mystery, drama – when it should have just picked one and stuck with it. It just seemed to get a little lost.
First, the pros. I thought that Amanda Seyfried was well-cast as Red Riding Hood with her cameo skin and her huge blue eyes, both of which convey a sense of purity and innocence associated with the girl from the fairy-tale. I also thought that most of cinematography, in terms of the color and setting, was just beautiful. The similarities to Twilight were obvious because of course, this film was directed by the same director, Catherine Hardwicke, whose eye for interesting movement and panoramic shots is well-known. I especially loved the scenes of Valerie’s red cape against the backdrop of the white snow! That was striking and gorgeous and metaphorical! Visually, I thought that the film was quite beautiful overall. I also liked the set-up that this was not in an urban scenario, it was in a village-type setting…which of course reminded me of The Village by M. Night Shyamalan. I definitely liked the feel of that from a story-telling perspective. I also enjoyed Gary Oldman’s role as the religious cardinal zealot who has demons of his own (he was a little over the top, but I didn’t mind it too much, because at least he gave the characters some life). And lastly, I didn’t guess who the bad guy was until the very last moment when it was revealed, so big and unexpected surprise which was great given the predictability of movies these days. I kept changing my mind as the film moved on and didn’t guess the wolf at all. In fact, when I realized who it was, it was a little creepy to me (I won’t ruin it for you but you’ll see why when you see it).
Now for the cons. I really didn’t like that the wolf was basically a big imitation Twilight wolf. I wanted something a little different, especially after the Twilight phenomenon (I’m still looking for werewolves along the Underworld lines) but with all the publicity about this movie being directed by the Twilight director, I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised. Even the triangle with the two boys is very similar to Edward and Jacob. In terms of action, I didn’t really think the boys were that bad. Henry reminded me of an awkward and endearing Ryan Philippe, and I thought that Peter held his own as the resident “bad-boy.” That said, they could have done with a little more character development, because I didn’t really get the chance to connect with either of them or become vested in them enough (even as far as to create “teams” like Team Henry or Team Peter). For me, it got to the point where it was only about Valerie and Father Solomon. The boys became peripherals.
Moving on, the wolf, most especially during the telepathy scene, was just abysmal, reminding me of the talking wolf in the The Neverending Story. We’re in 2010-2011, so my expectations of a werewolf communicating mentally with a human are much higher than it would have been say almost 20 years ago (take for example the difference between Tron versus Tron: Legacy – that’s what I’m after). Lastly, I thought the dream sequence with the “what big eyes you have, what big ears you have, what big teeth you have” was way too contrived. The whole feel of Little Red Riding Hood had already been achieved with the coloring, the setting, and the core of the story, but with those lines, it started moving into forced and fake territory.
I didn’t mind the dance scene which many people seemed to have hated, but then, maybe that’s because it reminded me of the dance scenes in A Knight’s Tale, which added to the whole depth of that movie. Now that I think about that, I think that’s what this movie may have missed – the connection between something urban and modern with the old setting and medieval feel of the characters. I really liked the whole direction it was moving in, but ultimately, it just didn’t get there enough for me to sit back and fist pump. Add that to a lack of chemistry between the main characters (especially the love triangle), and you just don’t become heavily invested in them enough to be vested in the outcome of the movie itself. I would have liked a little more darkness, something to sink my teeth into. It felt too much like a light and airy fairy-tale as opposed to a dark and modern retelling that could have been sexy and awesome. I thought it should have pushed more limits (but maybe that’s why it’s rated PG-13). As a pet peeve, seriously, werewolves really shouldn’t be boxed into PG-13! I’m not even going to talk about the ending – what, do all werewolves look exactly the same? Come on! It would have done so much for this if the second werewolf had had some element of his human side.
Overall, although it had its moments, Red Riding Hood just didn’t get there for me. As I said, it had so much potential to suck you in, but it didn’t quite exploit all the things it could have to be really great. I would rate Red Riding Hood 2 and a half out of 5 stars, because it’s neither here nor there. I don’t think it’s terrible, and I don’t think it’s fantastic. Some elements were cool, and others weren’t. So it’s right smack dab in the middle for me. Teens and Twihards will probably like it for its romantic fantasy feel in the vein of Twilight.
Monster Mania was a fantastic time! Notwithstanding all of the people who showed up dressed up as their favorite horror and sci-fi characters, including Pinhead, Michael Myers, and the Predator to name a few, I had the distinct pleasure to meet Allan Hyde (Godric) from True Blood, Melinda Clarke from the Vampire Diaries, and Nick Castle from Halloween!
I’d like to add that I had very nice chats with both Allan Hyde and Melinda Clarke about Bloodspell, and they both signed my book covers. Allan said that he was looking forward to it coming out! Very exciting!! And, OMG, how cute is he? Seriously, I just wanted to put him in my pocket. Love him!
Let Me In is the American adaptation of the 2008 Swedish vampire film, Let The Right One In (which I haven’t seen for any basis of comparison, although I have heard awesome things about it). Rated at 89% on the Rotten Tomatoes tomatometer, Let Me In did not disappoint on either the horror front or the romance front. It’s not your typical vampire film, nor is it your typical boy meets girl love story. Instead, it is an amazing combination of the two, producing a compelling movie experience that is dark and terrible as it is sweet.
Owen (played by Kodi Smit-McPhee from The Road) is a young boy who gets bullied at school and spends his time entertaining himself alone in the courtyard of his apartment building. One evening, two mysterious people show up in at night and move into the building – a young girl and her father. But Abby (played by Chloe Grace Moretz from KickAss) is no ordinary twelve-year-old girl, she is a centuries year old vampire. Despite her warning to Owen that they can’t be friends, they are drawn together by a shared loneliness and a relationship starts to form. The core of this film really centers around these two young people – their dialogue, their shared silent glances, their emotions, and their budding feelings for each other. Their relationship is dark and sweet because you can’t help becoming invested in them and what will essentially be a doomed romance, because Abby is what she is. On that note, I thought it was incredibly poignant when we learn exactly who Abby’s father is, and know that that will also be Owen’s fate, should he choose to stay with Abby.
Sweetness aside, this film also has enough horror and shocking moments to have had me covering my eyes. Abby is terrifying as a quick-moving, evil-eyed vampire with her snarling blood-drenched mouth, leaving you in no doubt of the creature that she is. She rips into flesh like nobody’s business, snapping necks and tearing bloody chunks out with her teeth. Even Abby’s father who garbs himself from head to toe in a black garbage bag is creepy and frightening when he goes hunting for Abby. The scarier parts of this movie only add dimension to the sweeter parts, like Abby and Owen’s interaction, and it just makes you feel for them more because there’s no “happy ever after” for them. He’ll kill for her, protect her, feed her, and she’ll leave him behind when he gets too old … just like the boy-turned-old-man before him. It’s so tragic.
I thought Abby was a complex and fascinating character. She drew me in because she’s doomed to be a child forever trapped in the life of this monstrous vampire, and a lot of how she is comes across as very childlike. For me, she was as good as Kirsten Dunst in Interview With A Vampire. Like Kirsten, she played the vampire versus the child amazingly well – the violent growling at her father for not getting any blood versus the sweetness of her normal girl voice is incredible. Her ability to be both monster and innocent was phenomenal. I don’t think she’s manipulative and scheming as suggested by other reviewers in terms of looking for someone else to take care of her. She tried to leave Owen for his own good, and ends up coming back to save his life. So that for me, erased the whole thought that her actions were contrived to make Owen fall in love with her. I think she also fell in love with him, and she knows that he protected her, too.
Owen was also a complex character, although in a different way, almost an opposite way to Abby. He’s a powerless bullied kid who wants to awaken the monster inside of him – he wants to punish his tormenters. This is evident when he’s stabbing the tree with a penknife, hissing “you scared, little girl?” It’s interesting because he’s afraid of a few kids, but yet he’s able to face and even love the utter terror of a creature like a vampire.
I especially loved the juxtaposition of Let Me In with Romeo and Juliet, which Owen was reading in school, in terms of highlighting the beauty and tragedy of their relationship. Let Me In is a beautiful and terrifying film. I couldn’t stop thinking about it for hours after I’d seen it, especially about Owen’s eventual choice and the cost of such a choice. It was both bittersweet and chilling.
Superbly acted and one of the best vampire movies I’ve ever seen, I would rate Let Me In 5 out of 5 stars.
Despite lowish ratings from critics on the Rotten Tomato tomatometer of 32%, audience-goers still voted I am Number Four as a “go-see.” I had to see it because I love fantasy and it’s my kind of thing. Overall, I really enjoyed it. Although it started slow and took a while to find its pacing, I am Number Four is based on a pretty cool story and had some awesome special effects, especially in the fight scenes at the end. With many core elements from Superman and similar visual effects to Race to Witch Mountain, it’s nothing new in terms of plot, but it was still a fun flick with some interesting characters.
John Smith is one of nine children sent away to earth from their planet Lorien, after a destructive race called the Mogadorians, annihilate it and all their people. However, the Mogadorians track down the Loriens hiding on earth, and execute them in numerical order. John is Number Four. After each Lorien child is killed, a scar appears on each of the other’s calves, letting them know that one of them has died. Like the others, John and his protector, Henri, have to keep moving to constantly avoid the Mogadorians. They end up in a small town called Paradise, Ohio where John falls for a girl there. He also starts to discover all of his powers (known as legacies) and makes friends with a nerdy (and human) boy whose father disappeared while working to bring the remaining Loriens together. Paradise starts to become more of a home to John than any other place he has lived. So basically when the Mogadorians show up, this time John refuses to leave. Meanwhile, Henri gets killed in an unfortunate trap, but John gets a new friend with the spectacular appearance of Ducati-riding Number Six. Enter the big stand-off with the Mogadorians. Number Four and Number Six team-up, combining their powers to defeat them. The movie ends with Number Four and Six activating a special tracker and leaving to find the others.
I am Number Four does have some flaws, most of which are plot-centric like not enough back story on Lorien and the Magodorians (which are explained in the book), and plot incongruities like how does Henri managed to get kidnapped by human alien-conspiracy theorists when he’s supposed to be this awesome guardian or where are all the police when they are having this mass fire-storm in the middle of the high-school at the end? That said, the action scenes are what make this movie a go-see. They were pretty awesome, especially the legacies of Number Six when she zaps in and out of human form. To me, the movie really started to amp up when she entered the picture, blasting through the high school doors like an avenging angel. Awesome!
The blasters used by the Magodorians were cool, and the giant shape-shifting dog was strangely reminiscent of Falcor in The Neverending Story. The Mogadorians reminded me a little of the shark-toothed angels/demons from Legion, and I thought they worked well as the evil villains in the movie (apart form the face, their imposing size also reminded me of the baddies from the Superman franchise). I especially enjoyed the humorous parts with them, like when one of them went grocery shopping. They were scary but funny-looking at the same time.
Overall, I am Number Four was good fun. There were some really spectacular action sequences, and pretty decent acting. I felt engaged by the main characters, and was invested in what happened to them (funnily enough, especially the cute little nerdy dude). The story was good, especially since it paralleled proven successes like Superman and Galaxy Quest. Um, just kidding about Galaxy Quest. Lastly, I liked the understated romance between the John and his human girlfriend, although it did seem to progress extremely quickly. But I guess sparks fly at this age, and according to the movie, when they Loriens know, they KNOW.
Most people who enjoy young adult books and movies will probably enjoy this film. Teens will undoubtedly like it, if only for the … um … hotness of its main characters. I would rate I am Number Four three out of five stars.
Wow. All I can say about Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows is that this movie was EPIC. I’ll say it again … EPIC. What an amazing conclusion to a peerless book/movie franchise. I will admit that I did see HP7, part 2, twice in theaters, and yes, twice in 3D IMAX. Extravagant, I know, but so worth it.
Peeves aside, overall, Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows, part 2 was a great film and a very satisfying conclusion to the series for me. I loved the books, and I loved the movies. I’m sure I’ll be re-reading and re-watching all of them in the years to come. Potter fans will enjoy this film, hard-core fans will undoubtedly have issues with missing pieces from the books, and general movie lovers will likely love it.
