Showing posts with label Movie Reviews. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Movie Reviews. Show all posts

Monday, March 8, 2010

Literary-based Movie Reviews part 1

Movie: Alice in Wonderland



Book: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll

Alice begins her adventures when she follows the frantically delayed White Rabbit down a hole into the magical world of Wonderland, where she meets a variety of wonderful creatures, including Tweedledee and Tweedledum, the Cheshire Cat, the hookah-smoking Caterpillar, the Mad Hatter, and the Queen of Hearts—who, with the help of her enchanted deck of playing cards, tricks Alice into playing a bizarre game of croquet. Alice continues her adventures in Through the Looking-Glass, which is loosely based on a game of chess and includes Carroll’s famous poem “Jabberwocky.”-Goodreads.com

My Review:
It has been a very long time since I have read the book. Therefore, I plan on re-reading it in the near future. The movie, however, was fabulous! I had worked 3 nights in a row and had a difficult time getting up early to see the film and allllmost called it off. I am soooo glad I didn't! Tim Burton did an excellent job with this cinematic interpretation. The movie was dark, whimsical, and absolutely delightful. Whoever cast the movie, did an excellent job. I found the actors to fit their parts extremely well. I think my actor/actress was Helena Bonham Carter. She portrayed the Red Queen perfectly. The setting(s) for the movie were absolutely stunning. All in all, I highly enjoyed this film and will definitely purchase it when it becomes available on DVD! If you get a chance to see it in the theater, definitely go! I'm glad I did! :)
My Rating:



Movie: Percy Jackson and The Olympians: The Lightening Thief

Book: The Lightening Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians #1) by Rick Riordan

Percy Jackson just found out that he is a demigod. That is, half human, half Greek god. In a last ditch effort to save his life, Percy enters Camp Half-Blood. There he discovers which mythological god he is related to and also stumbles across a prophecy that he is to fulfill in 10 days. The gods are warring, and Percy is the only one who can abate the conflict before it develops into World War 3. It is a lot to take in, but young Percy is up to the challenge. With a satyr and a daughter of Athena by his side, Percy heads out to face monsters, angry go ds, and other mythological creatures that want nothing more that stop Percy from fulfilling his quest. -My review

My Review:
I did successfully read the entire series before watching the film (yay!). I am really glad I did. The film is infused with action, drama, and humor, as well as the book, but they are very, very different. For one, the age of the characters in the movie is much older than in the book. Also, the characters were presented very differently, both in appearance and in personality. I had expected much more from Chris Columbus, who directed the first 2 Harry Potter movies. The actors and actresses of the gods and goddesses fit their roles rather nicely. The scenes on Mt. Olympus were stunning. I did enjoy the humor of Grover in the movie, but again, this is not found in the book. Overall, I enjoyed the film, but was slightly disappointed that it didn't follow the book more closely. As of right now, I plan to purchase this once it's released.
My Rating:

Literary-based Movie Reviews part 2

Movie: Cirque Du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant



Book: The Vampire's Assistant and Other Tales from the Cirque Du Freak (The Saga of Darren Shan) by Darren Shan

Darren Shan is just an ordinary schoolboy who loves to ride bikes and hang out with his three best friends. Then one day Darren and his friends stumble across an invitation to visit the Cirque Du Freak, a strange and mysterious freak show. Almost as if by destiny, Darren wins a ticket and what follows is his horrifying descent into the dark and bloody world of vampires.

This is Darren's story.
-Amazon.com




My Review:
*Sigh* Yet another movie in which I did not read the book first! I need to get better about that! :P Anyways, going into this movie without having read the book, I wasn't quite sure what to expect. I actually kind of prefer that sometimes. I seem to enjoy the experience more. Anyways, I digress. The movie was delightfully dark, funny, and surprisingly original. I LOVED the winter carnival grounds setting. Very pleasing to the eye. I enjoyed John C. Riley as Larten Crepsley, he suited the role quite nicely. Also, I was pleased with the choice of Chris Massoglia, he really stepped up to the role. At first, I thought the film dragged a bit, but once the "freak show" came to town, things started to pick up nicely. I love how the "freaks" interact with each other, finding solace in one another. On a whim, I just picked this up at the store without seeing it first, and I am glad I did. It's your basic good vs. evil story, done with some serious style. :P

My Rating:





Movie: Whip It



Book: Whip It by Shauna Cross (Also known as Derby Girl)

Skirts, Skates, & Scrapes
All the old school skills with a new punk rock attitude
Come see The Lone Star Derby Girls
Austin's All-Girl Roller Derby League
The Holy Rollers vs. The Fight Crew
Halftime Concert by the Chimney Sweeps
This ain't no cheerleading clinic, y'all

Meet Bliss Cavendar, an indie-rock-loving misfit stuck in the tiny town of Bodeen, Texas. Her pageant-addicted mother expects her to compete for the coveted Miss Bluebonnet crown, but Bliss would rather feast on roaches than be subjected to such rhinestone tyranny.
Bliss's escape? Roller Derby.
When she discovers a league in nearby Austin, Bliss embarks on an epic journey full of hilarious tattooed girls, delicious boys in bands, and a few not-so-awesome realities even the most hard-core derby chick has to learn.-goodreads.com

My review:
*gulp* I didn't even know this was a book until I saw the movie! How sad is that?! Again, I went into this movie, not really sure what was in store for me. I mainly picked it up because Ellen Page (one of my favorite actresses) was in it. :P It's a classic coming of age tale, with a roller derby twist. Lighthearted, warm, funny...the movie doesn't disappoint. I loved all the interesting characters and highly enjoyed Bliss' character evolution. I am beyond happy that I picked this one up and will no doubt watch it from time to time, when I need a good pick-me-up! :)

My Rating: