No spoilers - released 3/23/2012
I approached this movie with more than a little trepidation. As much as I tried to shield myself from the media, headlines caught my eye and I was truly afraid that the movie would not live up to the hype, which is what SOME people were saying, while others praised it to the skies.
After this first viewing, it is important to note two things: 1) If you are a fan of the book, it pretty faithfully follows it. 2) If you have NOT read the book, you will still "get" it; this is NOT one of those movies where everyone who read the book has to explain everything that is happening on the screen to those who have not.
It clocks in at 2 hours and 22 minutes, so they packed in as much of the book as humanly possible, without making it seem too rushed. The actors all did an incredible job of portraying the characters and the costumes were excellent, "girl on fire"!!
The changes that were made to the story were minor... and, on reflection, seemed necessary for time and/or clarity. Some ommissions, some additions, most made sense. Except for one ommission that I really missed, but, hey, I really liked the scene in the book, so I was sorry it was cut/changed.
The beginning was very disorienting – loads of camera shake in an in/out of focus montage, but still managed to convey the backstory fairly effectively. That being said, the burnt bread scene, a rather important in the book for a lot of reasons, was chopped into several tiny bits as flashbacks and didn't really work except to confuse the un-read audience. And the flashbacks regarding Katniss' Mom were odd as well, and happened extremely late in the movie, at that point it almost didn’t make sense to have it in the movie at all.
Showing the differenced between the Haves (Capitol) and Have-Nots (everywhere else) was striking. The silliness of the costumes, the inanity and shallowness of the People of Capital as compared to the rest of Panem underscored their differences: the children who are forced to fight (and kill) each other to survive and silly giddiness of those who view the Games as entertainment… and those who exploit the spectacle for political oppression of the masses.
The entire Arena section was a bit compressed, and contrary to some of the other reviews, not really sanitized, just FAST. The effects were excellent, and the whole "Reality Show/Gladiator TV Show Heartless Let’s keep Those Ratings UP" mood was conveyed very well.
There were some brutal scenes, a couple of jump-out-of-your-seat moments, and some funny flashes scattered throughout, enough to break up the tension. Gotta love that Effie!
The heart of the book was the heart of the movie, and I cried during that scene in the film, just like I did in the book... Those of you who have read the book know what I mean.
NOTE: If you have kids who have read the books and who are old enough to actually understand the theme and are able to discuss it, by all means take them to see this movie. Talk to them about it. It was far less violent than just about any Stephen King movie or Jurassic Park, for example. I would not take a young child (under 11) who is sensitive or who has NOT read the books, however.
On the whole, an excellent movie with a few minor quibbles. We saw it in an IMAX format, in perfect seats.
My rating: 9 out of 10. And I will be seeing this one again!
Just Musing,
Susan
Monday, March 26, 2012
Review: Once Upon A Time "Hat Trick"
"Hat Trick" OUAT episode aired 3/25/12
(Spoilers) There were some very good moments in this episode, chiefly surrounding the Mad Hatter/Jefferson, whose performance in Storybrooke really walked the line of creepy/dangerous/sexy and was absolutely riveting.
Wonderland was just a little weird (love those hedges!), but I wonder about the complete omission of a little girl named Alice, and of course, why the cover up of the Queen of Hearts? Are they planning to continue a Wonderland arc? Why?? Leaving so many loose ends dangling ("Grace" in Storybrooke, why/how did Jefferson know, Regina's dad and who the heck is the Red Queen???), in a story that seemed to be mostly wrapped up was just frustrating.
This episode seemed to go off in many different directions, and was almost completely without heart - much like the actual story of Alice in Wonderland... except that I had some hope when Emma started to believe, tears in her eyes and everything! Oh wait. That was a fake out, too. Hmm.
The whole thing was, in too many ways, a cheat. While I expect the Queen/Regina to be evil and manipulative (and Gold to be manipulative and so playing both sides, well actually, he just plays HIS side), every single movement forward turned out to be a lie or mis-direct without any payoff.
This episode did leave with an important question: Is Emma beginning to believe? I hope so, with a healthy dose of skepticism to keep her grounded and with one foot in each world.
All in all, this episode did not resonate quite as well as some of the others, with three steps forward and four steps back. Some brilliant acting and a few fantastic moments could not completely bring it to the level of the best episodes of the season.
My Ep Rating: 6 out of 10
Just Musing,
Susan
(Spoilers) There were some very good moments in this episode, chiefly surrounding the Mad Hatter/Jefferson, whose performance in Storybrooke really walked the line of creepy/dangerous/sexy and was absolutely riveting.
Wonderland was just a little weird (love those hedges!), but I wonder about the complete omission of a little girl named Alice, and of course, why the cover up of the Queen of Hearts? Are they planning to continue a Wonderland arc? Why?? Leaving so many loose ends dangling ("Grace" in Storybrooke, why/how did Jefferson know, Regina's dad and who the heck is the Red Queen???), in a story that seemed to be mostly wrapped up was just frustrating.
This episode seemed to go off in many different directions, and was almost completely without heart - much like the actual story of Alice in Wonderland... except that I had some hope when Emma started to believe, tears in her eyes and everything! Oh wait. That was a fake out, too. Hmm.
The whole thing was, in too many ways, a cheat. While I expect the Queen/Regina to be evil and manipulative (and Gold to be manipulative and so playing both sides, well actually, he just plays HIS side), every single movement forward turned out to be a lie or mis-direct without any payoff.
This episode did leave with an important question: Is Emma beginning to believe? I hope so, with a healthy dose of skepticism to keep her grounded and with one foot in each world.
All in all, this episode did not resonate quite as well as some of the others, with three steps forward and four steps back. Some brilliant acting and a few fantastic moments could not completely bring it to the level of the best episodes of the season.
My Ep Rating: 6 out of 10
Just Musing,
Susan
Monday, March 19, 2012
Review: JOHN CARTER
JOHN CARTER REVIEW (minor spoilers):
Having never read the Burroughs Barsoom series, I can't say definitively how closely it follows the books, but it was a thrill ride almost from the beginning.
The intro and everything leading up to the eventual landing on Mars was a bit too long and slightly confusing, with a lot of disorienting editing cuts, although in retrospect, they made sense by the end of the movie.
The scenes with the Colonel were pretty damn funny, though, and that is where the move really started to take off.
The effects were simply amazing, even more so than Avatar's for the sheer stark REALITY of the vistas, machinery and all the creatures. And that blue glittery stuff.... very cooooooool!
There was not even a moment when I was bored or distracted out of the movie - I never once wondered, "How much longer??" It was full of a nice blend of adventure, fighting, pathos, a touch of humor and some heart. Oh, and a huge slobbering dog with a blue tongue that runs really fast...
A few quibbles and plot holes, and certainly the science as regards to Mars is totally wrong (considering when the books were written, it is easy to forgive those). It could have used a touch more humor (especially at the beginning) and a leeeetle teeny tiny itty bit more oomph/chemistry/playfulness/tension between John and the Princess.
I do have a feeling I am going to like it even better the second time around. I saw it in 3D, FUN without being in your face like some others.
MY RATING: 8/10
A NOTE ABOUT PRO-REVIEWERS: Personally I think that most Movie Reviewers have become jaded and stopped really enjoying movies. What on earth is a reviewer who gives John carter a 3.5 out of 5 stars doing heading their review (and spending a lot of time discussing) "It Wasn't As Bad As Expected"???? If you stripped out the getting over her poor expectations, she seemed to really like it, with the correct reservations, and yet she seemed reluctant to give it any praise, disappointed that it wasn't awful. Dumb reviewers. Well. Forget all of them! I shall give my personal reviews of all movies that we see right up here on my blog and on Facebook, so you be able to see if they are any fun at all. Because isn't that what it is all about: FUN??
Just Musing,
Susan
Having never read the Burroughs Barsoom series, I can't say definitively how closely it follows the books, but it was a thrill ride almost from the beginning.
The intro and everything leading up to the eventual landing on Mars was a bit too long and slightly confusing, with a lot of disorienting editing cuts, although in retrospect, they made sense by the end of the movie.
The scenes with the Colonel were pretty damn funny, though, and that is where the move really started to take off.
The effects were simply amazing, even more so than Avatar's for the sheer stark REALITY of the vistas, machinery and all the creatures. And that blue glittery stuff.... very cooooooool!
There was not even a moment when I was bored or distracted out of the movie - I never once wondered, "How much longer??" It was full of a nice blend of adventure, fighting, pathos, a touch of humor and some heart. Oh, and a huge slobbering dog with a blue tongue that runs really fast...
A few quibbles and plot holes, and certainly the science as regards to Mars is totally wrong (considering when the books were written, it is easy to forgive those). It could have used a touch more humor (especially at the beginning) and a leeeetle teeny tiny itty bit more oomph/chemistry/playfulness/tension between John and the Princess.
I do have a feeling I am going to like it even better the second time around. I saw it in 3D, FUN without being in your face like some others.
MY RATING: 8/10
A NOTE ABOUT PRO-REVIEWERS: Personally I think that most Movie Reviewers have become jaded and stopped really enjoying movies. What on earth is a reviewer who gives John carter a 3.5 out of 5 stars doing heading their review (and spending a lot of time discussing) "It Wasn't As Bad As Expected"???? If you stripped out the getting over her poor expectations, she seemed to really like it, with the correct reservations, and yet she seemed reluctant to give it any praise, disappointed that it wasn't awful. Dumb reviewers. Well. Forget all of them! I shall give my personal reviews of all movies that we see right up here on my blog and on Facebook, so you be able to see if they are any fun at all. Because isn't that what it is all about: FUN??
Just Musing,
Susan
Review: OUAT "Heart of Darkness"
ONCE UPON A TIME “Heart of Darkness”
Episode aired 3/18/12
(MAJOR SPOILERS):
In a TV series that delights in twists, last night's OUAT really skewered convention! Answering a very few questions and raising even more... this series' convolutions serve to interweave all of the individual Tales in unexpected and delightful ways. This week’s theme: Evil isn’t born, it’s MADE, and boy, do they make that case in this episode!
In Fairy Tale, Red fully accepts her Wolf, and uses it to give Charming time to escape - pretty awesome, although they left that there, without the usual flash to Storybrooke and some sort of parallel with Ruby's life.
Snow was verrrrry interesting; Rumple didn't just take her memories, he took her LOVE, so what was left was vengeful, angry and just plain mean. “Once you start down the dark path…” (a nod to Yoda here!)
Charming continues to be... charming (if a little moon-y) and heroic in Fairy Tale, and David just gets less and less Charming in Storybrooke. Watching Mary Margaret’s face in her cell as David tells her he believes the worst just made me mad. What a wimp; I would think that anyone in his position would think, "Hey, something's not right, there has to be another explanation!" How many times is he going to do this to her?? MM deserves so much better.
As ever, the scenes with Rumple continue to be the most interesting to watch (Aladdin's lamp!), and his involvement in the MM's case should prove to be fascinating as he never does anything without a purpose.
Intervention Jiminy, Prophetic August (just who IS this guy and what is his facination with water...??), Loyal Grumpy, keys to the city, who truly holds the real power… So many little bits of so many of the stories in this jam-packed ep. And so much teasing teasing teasing, "invested in your future"... what the heck can that mean?? And the hair, bottling True Love, how is that possible, especially if Charming's doppelganger is not so True?
Ah Rumple, what are you REALLY after? THAT, I believe, is the true heart of this series.
Episode Rating: 9/10
Just Musing,
Susan
Episode aired 3/18/12
(MAJOR SPOILERS):
In a TV series that delights in twists, last night's OUAT really skewered convention! Answering a very few questions and raising even more... this series' convolutions serve to interweave all of the individual Tales in unexpected and delightful ways. This week’s theme: Evil isn’t born, it’s MADE, and boy, do they make that case in this episode!
In Fairy Tale, Red fully accepts her Wolf, and uses it to give Charming time to escape - pretty awesome, although they left that there, without the usual flash to Storybrooke and some sort of parallel with Ruby's life.
Snow was verrrrry interesting; Rumple didn't just take her memories, he took her LOVE, so what was left was vengeful, angry and just plain mean. “Once you start down the dark path…” (a nod to Yoda here!)
Charming continues to be... charming (if a little moon-y) and heroic in Fairy Tale, and David just gets less and less Charming in Storybrooke. Watching Mary Margaret’s face in her cell as David tells her he believes the worst just made me mad. What a wimp; I would think that anyone in his position would think, "Hey, something's not right, there has to be another explanation!" How many times is he going to do this to her?? MM deserves so much better.
As ever, the scenes with Rumple continue to be the most interesting to watch (Aladdin's lamp!), and his involvement in the MM's case should prove to be fascinating as he never does anything without a purpose.
Intervention Jiminy, Prophetic August (just who IS this guy and what is his facination with water...??), Loyal Grumpy, keys to the city, who truly holds the real power… So many little bits of so many of the stories in this jam-packed ep. And so much teasing teasing teasing, "invested in your future"... what the heck can that mean?? And the hair, bottling True Love, how is that possible, especially if Charming's doppelganger is not so True?
Ah Rumple, what are you REALLY after? THAT, I believe, is the true heart of this series.
Episode Rating: 9/10
Just Musing,
Susan
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