Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief MOVIE

I just finished watching the movie Percy Jackson & the Lightning Thief. 

Wow.  This was definitely one of those movies that I could TEAR apart the differences between the book and the movie. 

The movie was good too. The book was better.

My thoughts:

• This movie was quite a bit more scary and intense than the books.  I could totally see some younger kids who loved the books be kind of frightened by the movie.  (That being said, I thought some of the characters that were digitally created were pretty fantastic.)
• One can read the book, and then watch the movie and get basically 2 completely different stories!  While the basic plot frame (like the general idea of plot) is the same, there are few similarities otherwise.  Which I can't decide if I like or not. 

One thing I did find exciting was the feature of Nashville in the movie!  Instead of the threesome heading to St. Louis and the arch, they went to Nashville and the Parthenon.  I'm a Nashville native and LOVED seeing Centennial Park on the movie screen.

Overall, I thought it was a very enjoyable movie.  I think I'm going to have to stop reading a book then immediately watching its movie counterpart...I spend to much brainpower picking apart the differences rather than just enjoying the experience.

So have you read the book and seen the movie?  What are your thoughts?  I'd love hear them.  Leave a comment!  

 

Eclipse The Movie

I went and saw The Twilight Saga: Eclipse on opening day.  I didn't go with many of my friends who saw the midnight showing...I had to be spunky for work that day!  But I did grab a ticket to a matinee on the 30th.

I like it!  I probably made the mistake of rereading the book just before the movie came out so I critiqued every bit of the film and it's accuracy to Stephenie Meyer's text. 

The movie was pretty good!  I think the producers did a great job sticking with the text and including all the major plot points and many of my favorite one liners.  I even giggled some out loud!

There were several points that were seriously changed from the book, but I understand that had to be done to keep the movie plot moving and perhaps even to tie some parts together that would have taken too long in the movie. 

I think I liked New Moon better though. 


But wait...before you begin the flogging...I have a theory. 

Eclipse is my favorite book...New Moon was my least favorite.  I didn't have high expectations for the New Moon movie, I had HUGE expectations for the Eclipse movie.  Maybe too high! 

Anyway, I'm leaving all the plot points out for those who haven't seen it yet.  I don't want to be a spoiler! 

I am rather looking forward to seeing the movie again...perhaps a second viewing will change my views!

If you haven't seen it...go see it!  It's a good one!

Pictures of Hollis Woods by Patricia Reilly Giff

Hollis Woods was abandoned as an infant in a little town named Hollis Woods.  The person who left her there pinned a note to her shirt instructing that her name be just that...Hollis Woods.  Hollis has been bounced around the foster care system for her entire life.  She has made it a habit to run away from these homes as well as skipping school and prides on being "trouble."

When really, all she truly wants is a family.

This book alternates between flashbacks of an almost perfect summer with a wonderful family in the mountains and the present when Hollis is placed with an older women, Josie who turns out to have some memory problems, but is a craftsman which is perfect for Hollis who is a very talented artist herself.

Hollis decides to stay at Josie's for a while but when the social worker informs Hollis she cannot stay with Josie because of her memory problems, Hollis talks Josie into running away.   They go to the cabin where she spent that wonderful summer in the mountains, but now it is winter and a harsh one at that!

As Hollis cares for Josie and tries to come to terms with her past, she learns a lot about herself.

What I Thought: 
A wonderful, well-written book.  I fell in love with Hollis Woods and so badly wanted her to get her dream...a family!  I loved how Giff alternated each chapter with a flashback allowing us to gain insight into her past while living her life with her in the present.   Hollis is a great girl who just has been let down by adults her whole life and has learned to fend for herself.  It's such a gift to see Hollis trust others and allow herself to become a part of a family unit! 

A super book...give to readers who love reading books about strong characters and happy endings.

Very highly recommended.

This book was the recipient of a 2003 Newbery Honor.  

Want to see more?  Check it out on Amazon: Pictures of Hollis Woods by Patricia Reilly Giff.

In 2007, a Hallmark movie was premiered on CBS of this novel starring Jodelle Ferland as Hollis Woods,  Sissy Spacek as Josie, and Alfre Woodard as Enda Reilly--the social worker.  It was really a wonderful movie and though it has been several years since I saw it, I believe it was pretty parallel to the novel.   You can check it out here. 

Movie Review: Twilight Saga: New Moon

I liked it. A lot.



I'm not going to lie. I wasn't planning on seeing this movie for a couple weeks, at least until all the screeching teenagers had seen it and I wouldn't have to worry about shrieks in the theater every time Robert Pattinson or Taylor Lautner bared their chest.

However, a friend (thanks Tammy!) had an extra ticket for the Friday night show, and I got to go! And I was pumped.

We saw it in a smaller theater in a small town, and I think the average age of the audience was in its 30's! I thought that was totally awesome, I love when grown ladies embrace their inner 14 year old! I never want to lose my inner child/teenager!

Okay, back to the movie.

I had low expectations. I thought the first movie was disappointing. (Check out my review here.)

However, this movie exceeded my expectations! I was very glad they got rid of a lot of that cheesy dialogue. I thought that overall, the effects were okay, and they captured the story.

Granted, its been a year since I read the book, so if that was fresh on my mind I may feel differently. But right now, I like it.

I was most excited for the Italy scenes, and I thought they did well.

Overall, I approved. I really want to see it again. Even more, I want to re-read the books! Unfortunately, we are in the process of moving to a new house and they are packed away in a pile of boxes. Dilemma!

Twilight Saga: Eclipse will be released June 30, 2010. Can't wait!

Movie Review: Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist

I have been eagerly awaiting the release of this movie to DVD for some time now. I really wanted to see it in the theaters but never actually go to the theater to see it.



Nick and Norah meet at a club one night as Nick's band is playing. Nick is suffering from a broken heart after being dumped from his girlfriend, Tris. Norah is there enjoying the scene and "babysitting" her best friend Caroline. When Norah needs to prove she has a boyfriend to schoolmate Tris, she asks Nick to pretend to be hers for five minutes, not realizing he is Tris's ex!

The two begin an all night adventure of searching for a favorite band, Where's Fluffy, Caroline and discovering new friendships and experiences along the way. Oh, and a single piece of gum.

What I Thought:
I enjoyed the book and was anxious to see how the movie compared. I was very pleased! The movie differed a great deal from the book, but it kept the general idea. Which usually I get upset about, but rather enjoyed in this case. It provided enough of a difference to keep the premise fresh and new, yet kept the integrity of the overall story.

Watching this movie made me want to schedule a trip to NYC immediately. The music is great, which was no surprise when considering the premise of the movie.

I absolutely adore Michael Cera, and thought Kat Dennings did a great job, along with the rest of the cast.

Overall, highly recommended! This is a movie I would definitely watch again!

Movie Review: Bridge to Terabithia

Jess is the only brother amidst four sisters. He is picked on at school and is just a lonely guy. That is until Leslie moves in next door and shows up in his class. Together they come across a seemingly deserted piece of land with a uninhabited tree house. Leslie and her fantastic imagination declares the land their kingdom: Terabithia. As the duo rule the land and tackle the obstacles of their day to day life, a wonderful friendship blooms.

I finally had the opportunity to sit down and watch this movie. It had not been high on my "to see" list because I liked the book so much I was afraid the movie would not be able to do it justice!

However, I was wrong. The movie was quite good!

Considering that is has been years since I read this book, I was wary of remembering just how well the two would mesh. But to my memory, I think the movie stayed pretty well aligned with the novel. I loved how the movie brought out the imaginary world of Terabithia by making the various citizens of that land real and alive via movie magic.

Overall, I think this is a great movie. As with all movies that were books first, I always recommend that you read the novel before seeing the movie if at all possible. And this movie is no different!

So give it a shot! It is appropriate for older elementary kids. It's a movie full of imagination, friendship, and growing pains. (There are some very sad parts as well, FYI.)

Movie Review: Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2

I've been meaning to see this movie for a while:



Carmen, Tibby, Lena & Bridget have grown up together, but have separated ways to attend different colleges. Carmen, who narrates this story, is especially excited for this summer as she has had a hard first year of college and is missing her beloved friends very badly. However, much to her surprise, each of the girls has their own plans for the summer, taking them out of town and away from each other again.

So the summer continues and each of the girls continue their personal journey of growth. They will learn that even though space and circumstances may separate them, their friendship is strong enough to withstand all things.

What I thought:

A simply wonderful movie!!

I really wanted to see it in the theater, but just didn't get around to it. But when good old Netflix delivered straight to my door, I couldn't wait to watch it.

I thought it was a great movie! I loved how they brought in storylines from books 2-4 of the Sisterhood of the Traveling pants books and made it cohesive. I'm sure that fans of the books would have loved to see a movie made from each of the individual novels, but I think this movie did the books justice.

While it's been a couple of years since I've read the books or seen the first movie, but this movie brought it all back. I just may have to pull out my books and re-read this delightful story of four friends who share a magical pair of pants along with learning about life and growing up.

Movie Review: Twilight

So I just got home from watching this movie:



What did I think?

"Eh."

I thought it was okay. I'm very much one who likes the movie to match the book and the "movie" that my imagination creates as I read the story. I understand that the book is very long and the movie would be ridiculous to sit through if they played out every detail, but that is what I wanted. (So there.)

Being that I had already (recently) read (well, listened mostly) to the first book, it was still very fresh on my mind. I wonder if the story made sense to those who had not read the book prior to watching the movie? (If this is you, please feel free to leave a comment and let me know!)

A lot was left out that I thought was so good in the book and important to the story, and some things were added that were unnecessary.

Parts of the movie were incredibly cheesy. ("Climb on spidermonkey?" REALLY??) I laughed out loud when Bella dropped the apple and Edward caught it (after it bounced off his shoe!) in the perfect pose of the book's cover. I thought some of the dialogue was lame.

I thought Robert Pattinson was good, I imagined Edward a little (but not much) more animated than he was portrayed. And I thought his hair was just horrible. Seriously bad. (And he is very, very good looking!) I thought Kristen Stewart did a great job portraying Bella, she was just like I imagined. Maybe a little more klutzy, but pretty spot on. (She is very pretty and I so want her hair.)

Some of the scenery is absolutely amazing and seeing Edward's speed come to life was pretty cool. The romance is there, I couldn't help but get lost a little in that "awwww, how sweet and I'm jealous" mind frame. (But my husband is WAY better than Edward Cullen!)

Overall, I recommend it to anyone who thinks they want to see it. However, if you REALLY want the story, you need to read the book. (It is WAY better!) You can check out my review of that here.