Rewatching Old Favorites: Miss Potter

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"There's something delicious about writing those first few words of a story..."

The other night, I pulled out Miss Potter, and was reminded why it's stuck with me for so long. Normally, I'm an action/scifi/adventure type of movie watcher, but every time I watch Miss Potter, I discover something new to love about it.

Miss Potter follows the adventures of one Miss Beatrix Potter, an unmarried woman in her thirties who is frowned upon for trying to publish her book. Beatrix is shut up in her house with no friends for the large majority of the time and decides to make the best of it by drawing. When she finally finds a publisher, she befriends him and his energetic sister and realizes that she deserves better than what she has already. Miss Potter tells the story of a beloved author trying to find herself.

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In the past, I classified Miss Potter as a romance, but after this rewatch, I realized that it really isn't. Although there are some romantic aspects of it, Miss Potter is about one woman's journey towards realizing her dreams and becoming truly independent. At the beginning of the film, she is thirty-two, unmarried, and lives with her controlling mother and laid-back father. She even has a chaperone who follows her wherever she goes. She is independent, but forced to be dependent. Her mother tries to squash her dreams of becoming an artist. Throughout the film, we watch as Beatrix struggles to break free and become her own person, instead of the person that her parents want her to become. Her courage and determination are inspiring and entertaining.

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The acting is beautifully done. Renee Zellweger is completely believable, and completely un-Renee-Zellweger. She truly is Miss Potter. The supporting cast is similarly brilliant, particularly Ewan McGregor as Beatrix's publisher, Norman Wayne, and Emily Watson as Millie, Norman's sister. These moving performances contribute to the strength of the story.

One of my favorite things about Miss Potter is the animations of Beatrix's drawings. Her watercolors are adorable, and with a touch of filmmaking magic, they become even more so. Peter Rabbit literally bounces off the page. Jemima Puddleduck waddles her tail obligingly as Tom Thumb and Hunka Munka scamper off their paper. The animation is beautifully done, and not overdone. It helps the audience realize that these aren't just drawings to Beatrix--they're real, and they're her babies.

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I can't say enough good things about this film. It's sweet, charming, real, and funny, with a touch of heartwrenching feels. I highly recommend it for any lover of Jane Austen, any lover of period films, and of course, any lover of Peter Rabbit.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Contrived & unengaging

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I feel like I might be offending people by saying this, but generally when you watch TMNT, you don't really take it seriously. I mean, it's giant talking turtles who eat pizza, live in a sewer, and were raised by a rat. You kind of have to watch it for the cheese, and you end up buying into their universe, and then you're sucked in and you can't stop. The 2014 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles doesn't have a consistent universe, and you never get invested in the film. Ever.

The film opens with a brief explanation of the Foot Clan, a ninja-gang that roams the streets, committing crimes left and right. (Not that we need the explanation...after twenty minutes, the Foot Clan is rarely seen again.) We're also introduced to April O'Neil, a lifestyle reporter who wants to report on substantial news. She's so ambitious, she's willing to risk her life (multiple times!) to shoot crappy video on her iPhone in half-successful attempts to get her big break. While following Foot Clan suspects to a dock, she discovers that masked vigilantes are stopping the Foot Clan in their tracks, and puts herself into even greater danger by telling basically everyone she knows that the masked vigilantes are turtles. So therefore, the teenage mutant ninja turtles take her to their lair in the sewer, and together they attempt to uncover the Foot Clan's plan and take down the Clan's sinister leader, Shredder.

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The entire film focused on April O'Neil, with the turtles as a nice side plot, which definitely should have been flipped around, especially in a movie called "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles". The film tries its hardest to put O'Neil into the turtles' troubled past, but without any setup, the entire O'Neil + turtles backstory seems contrived and convenient. Although Megan Fox can be a halfway decent actress, she would have been much more convincing if she hadn't played the exact same character in Transformers (thanks, Michael Bay). Originally an interesting, three-dimensional side character, April O'Neil is turned into a flat, generic "heroine" who is more stupid than brave...and then we're forced to watch an entire film about her.

It's pretty obvious that much more time was spent on the CGI and the action sequences than the script. Every turtle has one personality trait. Michaelangelo is the sassy one, Leonardo is the responsible leader, Raphael is moody and rebellious, and Donatello is kind of geeky (he even wear glasses). The characters were pretty one-dimensional, and they remain the same throughout the movie. I don't think one character developed during the entire course of the film. Maybe you could make a case for Donatello, but it would be hard to find evidence.

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The one redeeming quality of the film is the special effects. In this day and age, there's really no excuse for poor special effects. When we go to the movies, we have high expectations SFX-wise, and TMNT delivered. A lot of the fight sequences with Shredder vs. the turtles evoked video game images. The shots used are quite similar to those used in video games, I'm guessing because both shots rely so heavily on motion capture. This wasn't necessarily a bad thing, as a lot of the action shots were quite cool. They were almost the exact opposite of The Hunger Games: lots of smooth, wide shots were you can see everything happening in the fight without getting a splitting headache. I thought it was well executed.

I was looking forwards to this film, but came out disappointed. It tried too hard, couldn't find a balance between silly and serious, and ultimately failed to capture the spirit of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles that the majority of the world has come to know and love.

Journal of a UFO Investigator

I personally think the title of this book should be Journal of a UFO Investigator (But It's Not Really About UFOs). I am a big fan of the scifi genre, hence why I grabbed this book at a library used book sale, and was semi-pleasantly surprised to find that although aliens and UFOs play a big role in Journal of a UFO Investigator, it's not science fiction.

The story follows our hero, Danny Shapiro, from ages thirteen to nineteen. His mother is very ill, and could have a heart attack at any moment. His father barely tolerates him, and he has almost no friends. As a coping mechanism, Danny starts a journal about an alternate life where he is a UFO investigator and goes on all sorts of weird and wild adventures, which parallel his terrible home life.

I don't think I've ever read a book like this before. The author does a great job at blurring reality and fiction, and it's very difficult to see if Danny actually believes what he's writing in his journal, or if he's actually experiencing what he's writing in his journal. Oftentimes, reality seems like it's intruding on Danny's fantasy. To be quite honest, I'm not entirely sure which parts of the book were truly Danny's life, and which parts were just his imagination. I'd have to read it again to find out.

Journal of a UFO Investigator does a good job at hooking you right at the beginning. UFOs are flying everywhere, mysterious phone calls about the moon appear, and lower levels in libraries are decidedly creepy. However, towards the end of the book, it gets very confusing, and hard to keep reading. I pressed on, mostly because I couldn't wait to finish the book so I could read something else, but I was pleasantly surprised by the ending. Most things get sorted out, and it has a generally promising ending to it. Although things get slow in the third quarter of the book, if you stick it out, it gets better.

Overall, I did enjoy Journal of a UFO Investigator, and I think I'd like to read it again, mostly to go back and sort out parallels and symbols now that I have a general idea of what's going on. This book does a good job at dealing with subjects like depression and suicide in an original way (set in an alternate reality with aliens), and it's interesting and hopeful. I would not recommend this book to anyone looking for a fun scifi read, but if you're ready to think (a lot) and if you're ready for a little bit of teen angst, go for it.

Transformers: Age of Extinction

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I am nowhere close to being a Transformers fan. I thought the first movie was pretty decent, the second was laughably terrible, and didn't bother to watch the third. But I bothered with Age of Extinction, and for the most part, I'm glad I did. Critics are slamming it (and I agree with most of them), but if you put aside the shaky plot, stereotyped characters, and Transformer dino fights that last almost an hour, you've got a fairly enjoyable movie. If nothing else, Transformers: Age of Extinction is fun to watch.

After the gigantic fight in Chicago, the government is cracking down on Transformers, killing any they can find. Cade Yeager, a broke inventor with the coolest name on the planet, happens to find an injured Optimus Prime and semi-nurses him back to health, earning the Autobot's eternal gratitude and the government's eternal hatred. Meanwhile, the government has discovered the secret to the Transformers' transforming ability and has created an entire army of Transformers. Unbeknownst to them, Megatron has infected the army with Decepticon metal.

From there, you can kind of guess how things go down. Cade, his teenage daughter, and his teenage daughter's boyfriend round up the Autobots, and much giant robotic fighting ensues. And man, is it fun to watch. It's like you've died and gone to sound-effects heaven.

It's also like you've died and gone to plot-hole hell. The plot isn't set up very well. The human characters are saved again and again by convenient and unoriginal plot devices. Most of the time, I felt like it was just too much for a Transformers movie. No one wants an elaborate, intricate plot. We just want to see giant robots and cool cars, please. Without crazy, barely-believeable, and time-sucking story points, Age of Extinction could have nicely wrapped up every subplot and still had time for special effects overload, instead of leaving gaping holes in the plot everywhere and devoting a third of the movie to the final showdown.

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Despite the cast being much better than previous Transformers installments (I'd take Mark Wahlberg over Shia Lebeouf any day), they're given stereotypical roles to play that don't do the film any favors. My biggest bone to pick is Tessa Yeager, Cade's daughter, and her boyfriend. I wish some movie would feature a teenage girl who's biggest problem isn't that her dad doesn't allow her to date. Tessa does a gigantic disservice to teenage girl-dom and feminism in general as she spends the entire film hiding behind her boyfriend, wearing tiny shorts, and getting trapped in all sorts of places and needing rescue. However, the film slightly redeems itself with all two other remaining female characters; one a brilliant scientist, the other a lawyer/businessperson/ninja.

I definitely enjoyed Age of Extinction more than I've ever enjoyed a Transformers film (although that doesn't say much), and it's a fun ride, if you're willing to overlook some things. It certainly seems like Michael Bay has created something bigger than himself. Age of Extinction has already made about $600 million, and now holds the record for biggest opening in China of all time. Despite negative reviews, you just can't ignore the lure of fighting robot alien car things.

Web Series Wednesday: The New Adventures of Peter & Wendy

Long time no see, dear readers! I haven't seen any many new movies/TV shows lately, hence my extended absence. I did, however, discover this amazing new web series...

It just got started, but so far it's quirky, funny, and adorable, and I'm really excited about it. Starring Welcome to Sanditon's Kyle Walters as Peter Pan, The New Adventures of Peter & Wendy follows the current trend of vlog-style modern day literary adaptations and reimagines the world of Peter Pan into the twenty-first century. Wendy runs an online advice vlog called "Dear Darling", John works for his father's online newspaper, and Michael and Peter Pan want to have the most fun while doing the least amount of work.

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I love the story of Peter Pan, and so far I love the web series. The acting is spot on, and I really like that half of the episodes are told from Tink's point of view. I'm also really enjoying seeing Peter Pan as an adult who hasn't quite grown up, instead of a kid who doesn't want to grow up. The chemistry between Peter and Wendy is spot on, and all the characters are great, but I must say, the very grown up and also very stuck up John Darling is my favorite. Watch this show, you will not be disappointed.

Transcendence: Cool premise, lame story

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I'll admit that I went into Transcendence a bit biased...all reviews I had read about it were negative. ("Why go and see it?" you ask. "Well, it only cost me five dollars," I respond sheepishly.) However, after a shaky start, Transcendence started to get interesting, and I started to enjoy it, and then...the film blew it.

Starring Johnny Depp, Morgan Freeman, and a very familiar-looking girl (who IMDb tells me is Rebecca Hall), Transcendence takes place in the not-too-distant future, following the life and death of Will Caster, who has devoted his life to studying artificial intelligence. In fact, he created a gigantic AI machine named PINN...and then is assassinated by an anti-technology terrorist group. Before he dies, Will, with the help of his wife Evelyn, upload his consciousness into PINN's software. Evelyn refuses to listen to her friends' concerns as Computer Will starts evolving, growing stronger, smarter, and way more powerful. Will she be able to shut it--him--down before it's too late?

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The idea of Transcendence is pretty intriguing, but the execution fell flat. The beginning is slow-paced, chock full of admittedly necessary, but unexciting expository information. Once Computer Will starts taking over, things get more interesting, but just as you're starting to get into the world of the film, and just as you're starting to root for the right people, the film takes the weirdest twists and turns, bringing all sorts of things you never previously knew about Will into play. The ending was far from satisfying, and actually ended up just being incredibly confusing. The ending proves the first half of the movie to be pointless setup, as nothing gets paid off. It will leave you with a bad taste in your mouth.

One good thing about Transcendence is it's not afraid to ask tricky questions. How far is too far, in the world of technology? Is AI the way to go? Is it okay to play God, curing sick people, creating the next generation of humanity, or is that something that should be left alone? What are the consequences to playing God? What is knowledge, anyways? What can you do with unlimited knowledge? Just how big is the Internet? It's appropriate that the film does not attempt to answer all of these questions, but instead attempts to give hints, possible outcomes, and leaves them open. Despite all of the interesting moral issues that the film touches on, Transcendence chose the wrong question to answer, which makes you question who you should have been rooting for in the first place.

The premise of Transcendence is on the right track, but the storytelling isn't. Watch it to get a glimpse at some cool science stuff (which I'm honestly not sure if it's real....yet), hear Johnny Depp practically narrate the whole movie, and wonder about the power of technology. Don't watch it if you want to be entertained. You'll spend seventy-five percent of the time trying to keep up with the wild goose chase Transcendence turns out to be.

A Maleficent Movie?

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Sleeping Beauty is my absolute favorite Disney princess. I don't know why, but her movie was my favorite when I was younger, and I still love the movie. So when I heard they were making a movie about Maleficent, I was a little disappointed--why focus on the bad guy? She's creepy, and has horns growing out of her head, which is weird. A live action Sleeping Beauty, I could get behind, but a live action Maleficent? Ew.

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And then Angelina Jolie was attached to the project, and I got a little more optimistic about it. I'm still not entirely sure about Maleficent, but Sleeping Beauty is a darker fairy tale anyways, and yes, I'm curious to see how Maleficent got those horns. Are they real? I'm really interested.

The first teaser trailer was haunting and pretty, and all other trailers released promise beautiful visuals, if nothing else. I'm not really sold on the tree-monster things (nice CGI and everything, but it seems a lot like Narnia to me), but, Angelina Jolie, man. She looks and sounds exactly like the cartoon character (hopefully she will take that as a compliment?) and that laugh is absolutely perfect.



Then when I heard Lana Del Rey's haunting rendition of "Once Upon A Dream", I was both horrified that they'd creepified one of my favorite Disney songs, and also very intrigued. Basically, the marketing ploy worked on me.

All this goes to say, I'm interested. And cautiously optimistic. I think looking at it as a remake of Sleeping Beauty is the wrong way, as the trailer makes it clear that although these are familiar characters, the story is very different from the tale I've grown up with. I'm excited to see what they've done with this classic.

Maleficent hits theaters May 30.

Web Series Wednesday: Kissing in the Rain

Kissing in the Rain is a new web series that's taking transmedia to a whole new level. It just launched a few weeks ago, and it's already one of my favorites.

Kissing in the Rain follows two actors who find themselves "kissing in the rain" on the set…but their off-screen relationship is almost the complete opposite. It's hilarious, cute, and the perfect blend of parody and seriousness.

Kissing in the Rain stars one of my personal favorite actresses, the lovely and talented Mary Kate Wiles (who once messaged me on Tumblr and told me to "stay square", which might have something to do with my love for her). She is perfect as the actress Lily, who pretends she doesn't care for co-star James, but is starting to crack a bit.

Everyone should watch this show. It's cute, quirky, and funny. The chemistry (or lack thereof) between the two characters is fun to watch and root for. And you have no excuse not to watch it...each episode is short and sweet, usually 1-3 minutes long.

There's currently five episodes released, with two more coming out in this chapter. Eventually, Chapter 2 will come out, starring two different sets of actors who find themselves constantly kissing in the rain.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier: Darker & grittier

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I really enjoyed Captain America 2. Marvel films aren't supposed to be super deep...they set a light-hearted tone, and they're just so much fun to watch, gasp at the plot twists, and root for your favorite superhero. Basically, they're a fun way to spend a couple hours of your day. But Captain America: The Winter Soldier is a departure from the Marvel snark of the past. It's a dark story, with a depressing moral: Don't trust anyone. Ever. Everyone can and will betray you in the end.

Cap discovers that Nick Fury is going rogue, trying to keep information secret from S.H.I.E.L.D. and also building gigantic heliplanes in the S.H.I.E.L.D. basement to basically assassinate people before they even commit a crime, Minority Report-style. Also trying to assassinate people: This dude with long hair and a Bane-like mask known as "The Winter Soldier" runs around shooting/punching/destroying cars and generally being obnoxious. When Nick Fury entrusts Cap with an important piece of data, S.H.I.E.L.D. turns on the Captain and Black Widow, chasing them down wherever they go. Our heroes must figure out what's so important about the data, and figure out why their own company is trying to kill them.

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The thing I missed most about this film was the traditional Marvel humor. There were some good one-liners, but nothing really funny (besides the first scene). It gave a darker feel to the film and set a more serious tone. Maybe I was just missing Tony Stark's snark, and I get that Cap isn't really in the mood for joking in this film, but I wish that it had been funnier.

Despite the lack of humor, the movie is a fun ride, taking audiences from Washington, D.C. to New Jersey, to Apple stores and museums. Wherever our heroes go, trouble is sure to find them...but somehow, the Cap manages to get himself out right in the nick of time. (And I mean....right in the nick of time.) Sometimes it's a little unbelievable how perfect his timing is, but hey, if it wasn't perfect, he'd be dead, and there would be no movie.

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The action was grittier and faster. A lot of the fights were hand-to-hand combat that seemed straight out of a Jason Bourne movie, which was fun and intense to watch. It was cool to get a better look at exactly how Cap uses his shield...I don't remember him throwing it often in previous films, but he's got a great throwing arm in this one. Black Widow is as deadly as usual (and I so appreciate a film that has girls doing proper hand-to-hand combat). The new addition to the team, Sam Wilson (aka the Falcon) was the much-needed comic relief of the film, as well as being pretty kick-butt himself.

My biggest question left unanswered is...where were the other Avengers? If S.H.I.E.L.D. is going crazy and wants superheroes dead, then wouldn't they theoretically be attacking the others too? There are hints to Tony Stark in one sequence, but how about the other Avengers, especially Hawkeye, who is more an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. then the others? However, I think every standalone Marvel film will have this question to answer. If the world is going to end, why aren't the other Avengers concerned?

Overall, Captain America: The Winter Soldier is a really good addition to the Marvel franchise, as well as working as a standalone film. There's superheroes, and cool gadgets, and awesome action sequences, and new villains and heroes and love interests and basically anything you could ask for in a Marvel film. It's a great way to pleasantly spend a few hours of your time.

 

Noah: Not as blasphemous as everyone says

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There has been a ton of controversy surrounding the recent adaptation of Noah, and I feel like half of it is completely deserved, but the other half really isn't. Before I begin, I'd like to say that no, Noah is nothing like the actual story of Noah, besides both stories feature characters named Noah, and both stories involve a boatload of animals and a flood that wipes out the Earth. If you go into Noah wanting to be educated in your faith, please don't go. If you go into Noah expecting an entertaining story that yes, isn't like the Bible, but isn't horrible either, then go see it.

The main problem I had with Noah is that the fallen angels are made out to be the "good guys". The film explains that demons (also known as "The Watchers") went to Earth of their own accord to help the human race (helping here equals "tempting to eat the apple so they could be like God") and then God got mad at them, so He cursed them to become giant boulder monsters that kind of resemble Transformers, except, they're rocks. Then, when God warns Noah of the approaching flood, the Watchers decide to help Noah. The film paints that picture that all Lucifer wanted to do was help humanity, not, you know, blatantly defy and try to overthrow God. This is the main thing that I took issue with.

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The first half of the movie is pretty decent. It's interesting, entertaining, and a completely new story. Noah's dreams about the flood perfectly communicate what his mission is without any voiceover narration or lengthy explanations, which is exactly what the entire medium of film is...visually telling a story. Noah builds an ark with the help of his family (his wife and three teenaged sons, one who is a dead ringer for young Johnny Depp), and the weird demons-turned-good-guys Watchers. The tribes of Cain start bothering the family, threatening to storm the boat if it ever starts raining. Drama ensues. It starts raining. More drama ensues. It's entertaining and beautifully shot (that shot of all the animals coming into the ark? GORGEOUS), and overall not terribly blasphemous. I enjoyed it.

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But then the flood really starts. The family seeks refuge on the ark, and then the story gets really, really weird. Noah is somehow convinced that God didn't want to save humanity, He only wanted to save the animals, and goes on a murderous rampage to make sure that his grandchildren do not carry on the human race. His family (quite obviously) turns against him. This was the strangest part of the movie for me. It seemed like, since there was nothing else left storytelling wise except sitting on a boat, the writers said, "Hmm, what can we do to make this movie longer? Ooh! I know!"

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Storytelling wise, Noah does fall short, especially to a believer. But technically speaking, Noah is a really beautiful film. The cinematography is really beautiful. It's just fun to watch because of all of the colors, the wide landscape shots, and the cool and creative time lapse shots of the creation of the world (my favorite part of the movie). The first few times the silhouette-against-a-sunset shot was used, it was pretty cool, but then it got a bit overused. And as I said before, the shot with all the animals walking towards the ark was amazing.

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With Russell Crowe as your main character, you really can't go wrong, acting-wise. But for me, the standout performance was definitely Jennifer Connolly as Naameh, Noah's wife. She's the emotional heart of the movie and of Noah's family, staunchly supporting him no matter how crazy others thought he was. When Noah tries to tell her that the human race should not survive, she refuses to stand by him, and you can see how hard this has been for her, and how hard it will be for her. It was brilliantly acted, and I really enjoyed her performance.

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One other thing that I appreciated was the pro-life aspect of Noah. My absolute favorite line of the film was when Ila, an orphan that Noah and Naameh adopted ten years ago, is worried that she isn't good enough because a childhood injury left her barren. Noah tells her, "You're a gift--a precious, precious gift. Never forget how precious a gift you are." The value of human life is represented by the character of Ila. Throughout the film, she remains a staunch advocate for the dignity of life.

Overall, I enjoyed Noah. It's an entertaining and thought-provoking (and very original!) look at the Bible story. The cinematography is really gorgeous, and the film brings up a lot of interesting points. As long as you aren't going into the film to learn about the story of Noah and be educated in your faith, you will be fine. I promise you will not melt in a puddle of blasphemy. Do you know how many other worse films are out there?

Divergent (better late than never?)

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Minor spoilers may follow. Enter at your own risk.

I actually watched "Divergent" opening night. (And, for the record, wrote this post the day after. But didn't get around to posting it till now. Whoops.) I thought the theater would be completely packed. My experiences with watching YA adaptations during the first week of release led me to think that it would be difficult to get a seat. There were about five people in the whole theater when I got there roughly half an hour early, although the place did fill up quickly. Although the Divergent trilogy is popular, it definitely has not yet hit Harry Potter and Hunger Games level of fame.

"Divergent" has been received fairly well by fans, but critics are slamming it. I think part of this is due to the movie trying to cater to the book's fans (it definitely helps to have read the whole series to fill in the "gaps" in the film), and part of this is due to "Catching Fire"'s huge success. "Catching Fire" is pretty much the perfect example of a YA book adaptation, and it set the bar pretty high. Although "Divergent" does a great job at bringing the story of the book to life, it's not quite at "Catching Fire" level.

Some things that I loved about "Divergent": Well, Shailene Woodley, for starters. I disliked Tris in the books, I thought she was too unrelatable, and she seemed very violent and volatile, especially in the second and third books. However, I found Tris to be much more relatable in the movie. She wasn't too violent, and I felt that her strength was portrayed accurately for a girl her age. Shailene Woodley is a terrific actress and brought a much needed human element to the character of Beatrice Prior, and this is largely what made the movie for me.

The cast as a whole did a fantastic job. I especially enjoyed Theo James as Four (the last thing I saw him do was this stellar performance, so I applaud him for being, you know, alive and a semi-decent guy in "Divergent"), Zoe Kravitz as Christina (my personal favorite book character, so I'm glad she did her justice), Ashley Judd as Tris's mom, and last but definitely not least, Kate Winslet as the villainous Jeanine Matthews. I'm a bit biased, as I love Kate Winslet and I firmly believe she can do no wrong, but she makes a great villain. She was definitely given more screen time in the film than she should have been, but…it's Kate Winslet. When you cast Kate Winslet as your film's baddie, you use her.

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As a whole, "Divergent" did a good job at balancing the amount of violence used in the film. In the book, Dauntless is portrayed as completely brutal (someone gets stabbed in the eye with a knife while sleeping, for example). The movie does a good job at getting across the startling violence of the Dauntless without getting too crazy (the stabbing scene, although filmed on set, did not make it into the final cut of the movie). There's still that sense of life-or-death danger found in the book though. Eric forces initiate Christina to hang over a ledge to teach her a lesson. Al is so heartbroken that Tris won't forgive him, he makes a horrible choice. The initiates are made to fight people much bigger and stronger than they are, and they react as any human being would (for example, no matter how much last-minute advice Four gave me, there is no way I could avoid getting knocked out when facing Peter in the ring…just like Tris). The film keeps the intensity high will avoiding that "R" rating.

The film is confusing if you haven't previously read the book…it is definitely made just for the fans. If you are a fan of the book Divergent, chances are you'll really like the movie too. I personally enjoyed the film more than the book (mostly due to the fact that this time around, I could relate to the main character), and I think it's really well done. Go see it, and support YA book adaptations and cool lead female characters!

Favorite Authors: Sarah Beth Durst

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Sarah Beth Durst is the author of seven (soon to be nine) fantasy books for teens and adults, and I absolutely love her. Well, not really (because that would be slightly creepy), but yes, really. She's hilarious (check out her blog for a great example of said hilariousness), and her books are equal parts epic adventure, touching romance, sweeping fantasy, tongue-in-cheek humor, and pure awesomeness.

What I love most about the stories she tells is how unique they are. Most fantasy books stick to the same sort of things…vampires, werewolves, fairies, dragons, etc. Sarah Beth Durst specializes in modern fantasies with all sorts of original characters that aren't really found in any other books. Vampire-hunting unicorns? Check. Supermegaawesomefoxyhot were-tigers? Check. Talking gargoyles at Princeton? Check.

Now, I tried to pick my top two favorite Sarah Beth Durst books, but I couldn't limit myself, so here's my top three:

Drink, Slay, Love

I actually read this book before I ever read Twilight, so I probably missed a lot of Twilight references, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. It's basically a parody of the entire teen vampire obsession, and features real blood-drinking vampires. Pearl is one of them, until she gets stabbed through the heart by a unicorn (oops) and discovers that she can do un-vampire-like things, like walk around in the daylight without spontaneously combusting, and also she starts…caring. Uh-oh. This is book is awesome because A) the vampires are proper vampires, and B) Pearl is the perfect blend of sarcasm, butt-kicking, and reluctant kindness. If you enjoy laughing, vampires, and great female characters, read this book.

Vessel

Set in the world of a tribe of desert peoples, Vessel tells the story of Liyana, a young girl destined to become the vessel for a goddess. When the goddess doesn't show up, Liyana discovers that something is preventing the gods from coming down to the desert and helping the people. I think this book does a pretty good job at balancing out romance vs. action (I'm not a very big fan of an overwhelmingly romantic novel). The different vibes from the various desert tribes are really interesting, and the characters are diverse and well-written. The trickster god, Korbyn, is my favorite…so sassy. You will probably only like this book if you're into fantasy novels, but it's a pretty epic fantasy novel. Please read it.

Enchanted Ivy

I'll be honest, I haven't read this book in awhile, but I remember anxiously awaiting its publication date. Imagine my surprise when I woke up and discovered that my mom had bought me a hardback copy of the book to put in (on top of, really) my shoe for my St. Nicholas's Day. I totally devoured this book. It's a quick read and a suspenseful page turner. Lily just wants to get into her grandfather's alma mater, Princeton. When she visits, she's given a test: Find the Ivy Key, and she can get into Princeton automatically. No questions asked. But as she tries to find said key, she runs into all sorts of crazy and fantastical things around campus, such as talking gargoyles, were-tigers, and gates to different worlds. I think that lovers of all genres will enjoy this book…there's something for everyone.

(New and Improved?) Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

I'm definitely going to be seeing this movie. I'm not totally sold on the turtles being too action-y, though. The whole point of TMNT is that they're like regular dudes, except, you know, they're turtles. We only get a small glimpse in the trailer of the turtles' personalities, and, well, I don't know. I'm predicting that TMNT will be a pretty decent film that makes a pretty nice profit at the box office this summer, and will go on to make many below average sequels. Basically, this is the next Transformers franchise.

Recent Reads

Surprisingly, I've been reading a lot as of late. I'm currently at ten books read this year, which is almost one a week. I'm honestly very impressed with myself for reading that many. I've started to rediscover my love of reading, I think, and I'm really excited about it. In the past month, I read four books, some that I enjoyed a lot, and some, not quite as much. Instead of doing long posts for each of them, I decided to mini review them...

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Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith

Once you get about a quarter of the way into this book (basically, when the vampires come into play), it's easy to get sucked it. It's a fun, entertaining read, and written like a history book, complete with historically incorrect diagrams.

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Looking for Alaska by John Green

At last, I have read every John Green book that exists on the face of the Earth. (He needs to write more, in my humble opinion.) Again, this novel takes a little bit of time to immerse you in its world, but once it does, it's hard to put down. With a realistic and incredibly entertaining cast of supporting characters, this book will take you through a whirlwind of emotions.

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Doing Harm by Kelly Parsons

Definitely not for young readers. This is a medical mystery that at first seems a little weird (especially when the killer is revealed halfway through the book), but somehow, it works. It's suspenseful and keeps you turning pages…I was almost late for work trying to finish this book. The descriptions of surgery are especially intense (especially since it's written by a urologist), so if you become faint at the sight of blood, beware.

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The Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick

This book is hilarious, sweet, and sad all at once. It's the story of a man trying desperately to work through his mental problems. It's a quick, easy read, and one that you won't want to put down. Highly recommended!

'The Maze Runner' Trailer

The trailer for "The Maze Runner" has finally been released!



I think the trailer does a good job at capturing the mystery of the book. I love that it only shows tantalizing glimpses of everything: the Glade, the Maze, the Grievers…it does a great job at teasing fans of the book, and sparking intrigue in the uninitiated.

I've only read the first book in James Dashner's series (my position in the holds line for the sequel was in triple digits, and I wasn't very patient), but I really enjoyed it. Most of the book is completely confusing, so I'm excited and curious to see if they left the movie just as vague, or if they explain too many things for the audience. I definitely preferred the book being confusing…it brings you into Thomas's character, really letting you experience the book from his point of view, as well as sucking you very, very quickly into the world of the book.

"The Maze Runner" will arrive in theaters September 19.

28 Weeks Later

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I accidentally watched this film. I was planning on watching 28 Days Later, and instead, apparently, watched the 2007 sequel, 28 Weeks Later. Whoops.

However, despite the eternal curse of lameness currently bestowed on sequels (and especially zombie horror sequels), 28 Weeks Later was actually, surprising, really good. 

The film takes place six months after the outbreak of the zombie virus. Great Britain was infected and quarantined from the rest of the world. Eventually, the infected died of starvation. The US Army comes in to help repopulate the city, and starts shipping citizens back to London. However, when two returning kids go searching for their old house, they end up unleashing the deadly virus upon the city once again.

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The plot was really solid. You really can't go wrong when the main goal of every character is to survive. One of the rules of good storytelling is the baser the goal of the characters, the more relatable and sound your story becomes. You can't go much baser than survival. 28 Weeks Later differs from other zombie movies, however, with its emphasis of sacrificial love. Throughout the film, characters are confronted with hard choices which require them to sacrifice something or someone, or even their own lives. Some characters make good decisions, but some make very, very bad decisions. 28 Weeks Later shows the value of sacrificial love through the extreme repercussions of those horrible decisions. The truly good, heroic characters in this film are characterized by their willingness to give up everything for the people that they love. In order to be truly human, you have to be prepared to do whatever it takes to keep the people in your life safe.

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One thing that I really appreciated in this film is its complete lack of romance. This may sound strange, and I'm a sucker for a good love story (I cried a lot while reading a certain Nicholas Sparks book, not gonna lie), but this story did not need any sort of romantic side plot that disaster/outbreak movies usually toss in there. There was definite potential, and when sniper Sergeant Doyle meets medical specialist Scarlet, he stares at her for just a moment longer than needed, and I rolled my eyes, thinking, oh great, here comes an unnecessary side plot. I was pleasantly surprised when the romantic storyline didn't go any farther than that. It's so refreshing to just watch a zombie horror movie, with no strange and unneeded romance on the side.

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Like any good disease outbreak movie, 28 Weeks Later features characters from every aspect of the quarantine: the medical specialist, the sniper security guard, and the innocent family who just happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Rose Byrne, Jeremy Renner, and Robert Carlyle (of Once Upon A Time fame…I may or may not have shrieked "Rumpelstiltskin!" when he came on screen) star, and they all convincing portray their respective personalities. (Is it just me, or is Jeremy Renner almost the exact same character in every movie…you know, the snarky soldier who ends up going against orders to save people?) The actress who plays the teenaged Tammy, Imogen Poots, was my favorite in this movie. Sh was really the emotional heart of the movie, and her determination and courage in protecting her family brought a deeper level of humanity to the film.

In short, although the film does have a few weak spots, overall it's a really interesting and entertaining zombie flick. It is fairly gory, and gets pretty intense and suspenseful at time. I actually planned to watch only half of the movie, and then finish it up later after I accomplished some things, but couldn't stop watching. If you don't mind gore and language, I would definitely recommend this film.

You can watch the trailer below:

Web Series Wednesday: Emma Approved

Emma Approved is the next web series in line from Pemberley Digital, a storytelling company that attempts to retell familiar stories in an unfamiliar and modern setting. They're known for their success with The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, one my personal favorites and also the web series that got me hooked on web series. You should definitely check out The LBD, if you haven't already.

Emma Approved is Jane Austen's Emma, retold through vlogs. Emma Woodhouse is a career matchmaker/lifestyle expert. In nine words: She makes your life better, and she never fails. However, after she inevitably fails at setting up one of her clients, she questions her problem-solving skills, and decides to test them out on a variety of non-clients (aka, her sister, and her business partner's friend).

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I think that Emma Approved works well if you do not compare it to The LBD. A lot of the Pemberley Digital fandom has been up in arms about EA, because they're looking for it to be exactly like The LBD. But it's not, and it never will be. Lizzie's stories were told on a private vlog, and Emma is documenting her greatness for future...people. (That's never quite clear.) There is a certain point where you have to suspend your disbelief in order to enjoy the series, but that's okay. I don't use Twitter, so the transmedia problems don't bother me.

Emma is my personally favorite Austen novel, and I'm glad that the heart of the story is portrayed beautifully. The details, however, are a bit…different. I do understand how this is necessary, as Emma wouldn't really be recording her personal life, but her work with her clients. EA is arranged around Emma's clients (Annie Taylor, Harriet Smith, State Senator Scumbag Elton, her sister Izzy, and now Maddie Bates), rather the details of Emma's personal life, which makes sense. However, it does make for long deviations from the original story (since when did Izzy and John Knightley have marital problems?!), and I wish that they would find a way to stay more closely to the original plot line, instead of veering off track to follow side characters that I don't really care that much for.

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The main reason I enjoy Emma Approved is because of the characters. The acting in this show is really good, and although I find Dayenne Hutton's portrayal of Harriet Smith to be a little over the top, especially in the first few episodes, overall the characters are interesting, exciting, and entertaining. The chemistry between Emma and Alex Knightley is completely believable (and also totally adorable to watch). Even though some of the characters shouldn't have been featured so prominently in the show (see: Izzy's relationship drama), they're fun to root for.

Overall, although Emma Approved has some issues that it needs to work out, it's an enjoyable show if you're willing to suspend some disbelief to let the plot work for you. The characters are fun, the story is entertaining, if not accurately following the book, and there are some great hilarious lines.

Divergent: Clip Roundup

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I really liked the first book, strongly disliked the second, and absolutely loved the third. I'm definitely in the minority in that respect, but I'm just as excited as the rest of the Divergent fandom to watch the movie coming out in theaters in just a few short weeks! They've been releasing some great behind the scenes stuff this past month, as well as awesome new TV spots and clips from the movie itself. Check out six released "Divergent" clips below.


 
This is my least favorite clip of the bunch, and I'm bummed that they released it first. I didn't really get the vibe of the book from this clip, and it made me extremely wary about the movie. After watching the other clips, I think my faith in the film is being restored a bit…


The second "Divergent" clip is my personal favorite of all five clips released. Shailene Woodley is great in this scene, and I absolutely love how they showed Tris realizing that she was trapped in a simulation, not reality. I think it was really well done, and also a smart choice, considering the only other real option is a voiceover.



Although I'm not too sure about Eric (he's absolutely nothing like I pictured him in the books, but I will give him a chance), I like this clip because it gives us a look at some of the supporting cast of characters. Although I can't really tell who is who besides Christina, it was fun to watch.



Okay, so Kate Winslet is amazing. That's pretty much what I took away from this clip. She was perfectly cast as Jeanine, and I am so excited to see her in action in the movie.



This is one of the most anticipated scenes, and imho, I don't think it was long enough, but then again, it could be cut longer in the movie itself. Also, it feels like this scene takes forever in the book, due to being able to hear Tris's thoughts, but obviously, films don't work the same way.

This clip really sold Shailene Woodley as Tris for me. Also, Eric is starting to grow on me. Basically, this convinced me that the acting is matching up with my mental pictures.

Overall, I'm really enjoying the clips that have been released so far, and I am cautiously optimistic for the film. So far, the reviews have been positive, saying that there are a few changes from book to film, but nothing too significant. Shailene Woodley and Theo James so far seem to have been good choices. And of course Kate Winslet is and undoubtedly will be brilliant.

"Divergent" comes to theaters on March 21.

Once Upon A Time: Characters I Want More Of

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At last, the ABC winter hiatus is coming to a close. My favorite current TV show, Once Upon A Time, is back on air starting tomorrow, March 9. I'm so excited to see what happened after that cliff hanger ending. (Also, I'm really excited that Once Upon A Time airs on Sundays. It's so handy during Lent.)

Although the plot of Once Upon A Time is occasionally filled with holes and somewhat strange, what keeps me and most other viewers coming back are the great characters that the writers and actors have developed. Everyone has a backstory, and everyone plays a crucial role in the story. The characters are usually interesting and well rounded, but sometimes, the writers introduce a character only to have them featured in one or two episodes, and then never seen again. Often I'm intrigued by these new characters, and wish I could learn more about their stories. Here's my favorites of these mysterious characters used to to serve the plot and then dropped. (Beware of spoilers.)

Ashely Boyd/Cinderella
2 episodes

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Ashley/Cinderella first made an appearance in the fourth episode of the show, which made it seem as though she would be a major player. The scene where Emma tells Storybrooke Cinderella (aka Ashley) to not care what people said about her, and to never give up, even though it was going to be hard, held so much potential for Emma to become Ashley's mentor. Sadly, it was not to be. Ella's spunk, courage, and fearlessness when dealing with the cunning Rumpelstiltskin made me instantly like this character, but alas, she wasn't seen again until the Valentine's Day episode "Skin Deep", where her Prince proposed to her. A happy ending, but still a slightly unsatisfying one, as I would have loved to see her personality and backstory fleshed out a little more. Plus, we missed out on all of the potential adorable family moments between Ashley, Thomas, and little baby.

Jefferson/Mad Hatter
6 episodes

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Honestly, the reason I want more of the Mad Hatter is because he's so unpredictable, and so interesting to watch. Everything he does, he does to protect his daughter. He's trapped in Regina's power, but yet he finds ways to rebel. I would really love to see more about his time spent in Storybrooke, as he created thousands of hats, hoping desperately that one would work, and slowly spiraled into insanity as not even one hat would do its job. Jefferson is such an entertaining character to watch, and I wish we could have gotten to see more of him.

Maleficent
2 episodes

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Although I find the character of Maleficent rather over done for this show, I really enjoyed her little cameos. She's basically a puppet of the Evil Queen, always gullible. She's a shape shifter, and can turn into a dragon at a moment's notice. Also, she has a strange tiny pet unicorn (and I'd really like to hear the story behind that one). The Evil Queen takes pity on Maleficent in one episode, saying that Maleficent is her only friend. I think it would be really interesting to get the story behind that shaky friendship. Also, Maleficent was never really given a proper ending--is she dead? I don't think so. (And when will we find the answer to that question? It's been almost two seasons.) 

Abigail and Frederick

Kathryn/Abigail was such a major player in season 1, it was strange when she suddenly disappeared from the show. The show's creators have assured fans that Frederick and Kathryn married and lived happily ever after in Storybrooke, but I wish we could have seen some of that. Even just seeing this couple randomly around town would have been nice. So many horrible things happened to this couple (mainly Kathryn, really) and I would have liked to see something pleasant concerning Kathryn for a nice change.

Jacqueline "Jack" the Giant Killer
1 episode

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Having a female Jack the Giant Killer was completely unexpected, but yet, really cool. Once Upon A Time is known for twisting the original fairy tales into fresh, new, and exciting (and often politically correct…but we won't go there) characters, and Jack is (was, I guess) a perfect example of this. We barely got a taste of the feisty Jack, as she was only in one episode before (spoiler alert!) she came to an unfortunate demise. I would have loved a flashback or two about her and Prince James's adventures in the Enchanted Forest, hunting giants and fighting bad guys.

Daniel the Stable Boy
2 episodes

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Daniel the Stable Boy had a ton of potential, as he was responsible for starting Regina's downfall. Sadly, his featured episode painted him as a very decent, hardworking young man, and then we saw no more of him…until he came to Storybrooke as a zombie (what?!) and tried to strangle Regina. I would love to see the Daniel/Regina romance fleshed out a bit more. As this was the beginning of the end for the Evil Queen, it would have been interesting to get some backstory on this guy and why he was so incredibly important to Regina.

Ruby/Red Riding Hood
30 episodes

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Ruby/Red Riding Hood is technically more of a major character, but she is one of the most underused characters of all time. She had a brilliant backstory, was part of a shocking plot twist, she has plowed through so many obstacles, and was always there for all of her friends whenever they needed her. However, she was almost always in the background of every episode. Red was one of the my favorite characters, but I totally understand why actress Meghan Ory decided to leave the show. She definitely wasn't being given enough to do. (However, I think we will get to see more of Red…producer Adam Horowitz announced she'd make an appearance in season three! Here's hoping it will be sooner rather than later.)

Hopefully one or more of these characters will make an appearance in the second half of Season Three, but it's not looking likely, as the show has been introducing more and more new characters. The Wicked Witch of the West will show up in this Sunday's episode, and I'm sure more will be coming as we follow Emma & Hook in our world, the rest of the gang in the Enchanted Forest, Robin Hood & Mulan off somewhere adventuring, and whoever else may feature.