Review: PACIFIC RIM (2013)

My Thoughts:

I saw this movie at the cinema about a few months ago so this is another retrospective review. Now I am an urban fantasy geek so ofcourse I love big monsters and a fight of good versus evil. The cinematography wasn't too bad but for some reason the movie makers still used good old fashioned props in lieu of CGI (computer generated imagery). I could clearly see the non-moving plastic bits. Although they clearly have CGI because the fantastical elements interacting with live actors has to be CGI. So I don't know the reasoning behind it, but it brought the rating of this movie down a notch. Though you couldn't rate it too low because when they did use CGI, the mixing of CGI with non-CGI elements is smooth and flawless. It was fantastic to watch! The plot was quite straight forward. Evil monster present. Beat evil monster. The end. But like I said, I am a fantasy geek, so I tend to forgive a lot just to get my fantasy fix. I find this movie entertaining enough to warrant... probably a 4. But not masterpiece enough to get a 5.

Empirical Evaluation:
Cinematography = 4
Script/Story Itself = 4
Ending = 4
World building = 4
Plot = 3
Acting = 4

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 cherries

Pacific Rim (2013)
Starring Charlie Hunnam and Rinko Kikuchi. Directed by Guillermo del Toro. Produced by Legendary Pictures.

Genre: urban fantasy

Pacific Rim (2013) Storyline:

When legions of monstrous creatures, known as Kaiju, started rising from the sea, a war began that would take millions of lives and consume humanity's resources for years on end. To combat the giant Kaiju, a special type of weapon was devised: massive robots, called Jaegers, which are controlled simultaneously by two pilots whose minds are locked in a neural bridge. But even the Jaegers are proving nearly defenseless in the face of the relentless Kaiju. On the verge of defeat, the forces defending mankind have no choice but to turn to two unlikely heroes - a washed up former pilot (Charlie Hunnam) and an untested trainee (Rinko Kikuchi) - who are teamed to drive a legendary but seemingly obsolete Jaeger from the past. Together, they stand as mankind's last hope against the mounting apocalypse. Written by Del Torro

Source: Info in the Pacific Rim (2013) Storyline was taken from http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1663662/ on 14/09/2013.

Movie Trailer:

Movie Links:
www.pacificrimmovie.com
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Movie Review: MORTAL INSTRUMENTS

My Thoughts:

I haven't read the book so I can't compare the story in both media. I can tell you, however, that I found some of the characters in the movie are too stupid to live (TSTL). This discourages me from reading the book because I couldn't help wondering if they are even more of a TSTL in the book than they are in the movie. But not all characters are stupid. Take Magnus Bane for example, he seems to be one of the bad guys but he knows which side would keep him alive. So not all characters are TSTL. And then there's Jonathan Rhys Myers who plays the bad guy to perfection! Wonderful performance!! It seems that it's just the main characters who are stupid. WTF?!! And then as if that is not enough, the plot depends on some characters acting stupid to give the story a little bit more drama. Rather weak plot. However the world building and the CGI (computer generated imagery) which brought this fantastical world to vivid life is awesome!! The mixing of the CGI and the physical set and live actors is seamless! The flow of images looked smooth. The CGI team flippin' deserves a raise!

At the end of it, I enjoyed the movie. But I hope they would do a better job with the second movie, specially with the script and plot.

Empirical Evaluation:
Cinematography = 5
Script/Story Itself = 2
Ending = 3
World building = 4.5
Plot = 2
Acting = 3

Overall Rating: 3 out of 5 cherries

Mortal Instruments: City Of Bones (2013)
Starring Lily Collins, Jamie Campbell Bower, Kevin Zegers, Jemima West, Robert Sheehan, Godfrey Gao, and Jonathan Rhys Meyers. Directed by Harald Zwart.

Genre: urban fantasy YA

About Mortal Instruments: City Of Bones (2013):

Set in contemporary New York City, a seemingly ordinary teenager, Clary Fray (Lily Collins), discovers she is the descendant of a line of Shadowhunters, a secret cadre of young half-angel warriors locked in an ancient battle to protect our world from demons. After the disappearance of her mother (Lena Headey), Clary must join forces with a group of Shadowhunters, who introduce her to a dangerous alternate New York called Downworld, filled with demons, warlocks, vampires, werewolves and other deadly creatures. Based on the worldwide best-selling book series. Written by Sony Pictures Entertainment

Source: Info in the About Mortal Instruments: City Of Bones (2013) was taken from http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1538403/ on 24/08/2013.

Movie Trailer:

Movie Links:
www.themortalinstrumentsmovie.com
Wiki
imdb
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The book from which the movie was based from:

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
Book 1 of the Mortal Instruments series
Genre: urban fantasy YA

About City of Bones:

Don’t miss The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones, soon to be a major motion picture in theaters August 2013!

When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder -- much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It's hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing -- not even a smear of blood -- to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?

This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It's also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace's world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know. . . .

Exotic and gritty, exhilarating and utterly gripping, Cassandra Clare's ferociously entertaining fantasy takes readers on a wild ride that they will never want to end.

Source: Info in the About City of Bones was taken from GoodReads at http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/256683.City_of_Bones on 24/08/2013.

Movie Review: PERCY JACKSON: THE SEA OF MONSTERS

My Thoughts:

I went and watched Percy Jackson: The Sea Of Monsters last weekend simply because there was nothing else to watch. Among the choices in the cinema, it was the only urban fantasy movie. And me being an urban fantasy geek, this movie got picked. First off, I have to give kudos to the cinematographic team because they did a fantastic job! And the director, for seamlessly blending the 3D animation elements with the live actors/elements of the movie! The story though was a bit mundane and predictable. The plot wasn't bad. It was just that, the story could have been told better. But then again, this is a young adult (YA) story where the audience is expected to suspend disbelief a bit more than an ordinary story. Another thing which brought the rating of this movie just a tad down is Logan Lerman needs to practice a bit more on his acting if he plans on continuing on having an acting career because he is obviously not very good at it. Luckily, he is the only one out of all the main characters in the movie. However, after all that moaning.... at the end of it, for a movie chosen because there simply wasn't anything else better, it was good entertainment!

Empirical Evaluation:
Cinematography = 5
Story itself = 3.5
Ending = 4
World building = 4
Attention to detail = 5
Acting = 4
Casting = 4
Plot = 3.5

Cherry Rating: 4 out of 5 cherries


Percy Jackson: The Sea Of Monsters Trailer:

About Percy Jackson: The Sea Of Monsters:

In order to restore their dying safe haven, the son of Poseidon and his friends embark on a quest to the Sea of Monsters to find the mythical Golden Fleece while trying to stop an ancient evil from rising.

Source: Info in the About Percy Jackson: The Sea Of Monsters was taken from http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1854564/ on 16/08/2013.

Starring Logan Lerman as Percy Jackson. Along with Alexandra Daddario and Douglas Smith. A Fox 2000 film.

Movie Link(s):
www.percyjacksonthemovie.com
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The book from which the movie was based from:

The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan
Genre: urban fantasy / young adult

About The Sea of Monsters:

The heroic son of Poseidon makes an action-packed comeback in the second must-read installment of Rick Riordan's amazing young readers series. Starring Percy Jackson, a "half blood" whose mother is human and whose father is the God of the Sea, Riordan's series combines cliffhanger adventure and Greek mythology lessons that results in true page-turners that get better with each installment. In this episode, The Sea of Monsters, Percy sets out to retrieve the Golden Fleece before his summer camp is destroyed, surpassing the first book's drama and setting the stage for more thrills to come.

Source: Info in the About The Sea of Monsters was taken from GoodReads at http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28186.The_Sea_of_Monsters.

Review: THE HOST (2013)

My Thoughts:

I went to watch this movie on the week it came out at the cinema but didn't get to review it straight away, so this is now a retrospective review. For like, a month or so retrospective. I think Saoirse Ronan really did well with her portrayal of both Melanie Stryder and The Wanderer/Wanda. I think it was a brilliant performance indeed! The movie followed the book quite closely as far as I can remember the book. And I liked that in the movie. However the ending for some reason was more exciting in the book than it happened in the movie. And I didn't rate the plot a high score because as far as I can see there wasn't much of a plot really. The entire thick book and/or the movie was all about the coming of age of Wanda and that was it! An introduction to the world of Wanda. But how the story was told is what made all the difference and this was translated well into the movie from how Stephenie Meyer told it in the book. Or maybe I saw it that way because I already knew the story going into the movie. Either way, I really like the way the story was told in the movie. Or the way the story unfolded in the movie. I guess that also contributed in making the world building a really beautiful one too. Or it could be that the world building was just simply masterful and intricate. Or maybe I am just being biased seeing that I am already an old fan of the book. Another positive thing about the movie is it seems that in the movie, my idea of the book was given a visual representation, and I liked that seeing that I am a "visual-touchy-feely" kind of reader. So I enjoyed the movie and looking forward to reading the next book in The Host series. I hope that they will make a movie of it too and that they will do the same excellent job they did with this one!

Empirical Evaluation:
Cinematography = 4.5
Story itself = 4
Ending = 4
World building = 5
Attention to detail = 4.5
Acting = 4.5
Casting = 4.5
Plot = 3.5

Cherry Rating: 4 out of 5 cherries


The Host (2013) Trailer:

About The Host (2013):

When an unseen enemy threatens mankind by taking over their bodies and erasing their memories, Melanie will risk everything to protect the people she cares most about, proving that love can conquer all in a dangerous new world.

Source: Info in the About The Host (2013) was taken from http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1517260 on 21/04/2013.

Movie Link(s):
Facebook
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The book from which the movie was adopted from:

The Host by Stephenie Meyer
Book 1 of The Host series
Genre: dystopian science fiction/fantasy

About The Host :

Melanie Stryder refuses to fade away. The earth has been invaded by a species that take over the minds of human hosts while leaving their bodies intact. Wanderer, the invading "soul" who has been given Melanie's body, didn't expect to find its former tenant refusing to relinquish possession of her mind.

As Melanie fills Wanderer's thoughts with visions of Jared, a human who still lives in hiding, Wanderer begins to yearn for a man she's never met. Reluctant allies, Wanderer and Melanie set off to search for the man they both love.

Featuring one of the most unusual love triangles in literature, THE HOST is a riveting and unforgettable novel about the persistence of love and the essence of what it means to be human.

Source: Info in the About The Host was taken from http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1656001.The_Host on 21/04/2013.

Review: HARPER CONNELLY series

Review:

At first I would have said that this series is a YA. However, by Book 3, I would not recommend it to anyone under 18. This series then has become an adult urban fantasy.

The pace cannot really practically be rated because a listener can only listen as fast as the reader reads. So the pace is rated "not applicable".

I already liked this author's work despite Sookie Stackhouse's being too stupid to live (TSTL). But this author has such a wonderful story telling ability and her world building is so vivid that I got addicted to the Sookie Stackhouse series despite the TSTL. Charlaine Harris displayed the same wonderful story telling ability and world building in this series, so of course I am addicted again. On top of that, with this series Charlaine Harris has shown a marked improvement in her writing style. Harper Connelly, the main protagonist, for one is not as TSTL as Sookie Stackhouse. Which is a major plus for me!! It means that this series is not as annoying as the Sookie Stackhouse is. Additionally, the plot has also developed a more coherent structure. Although the plot in some books were just slightly a bit "holey"... Still the books were good reads... And addictive.

Empirical Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 5
Character development = 4.5
The stories themselves = 4
Endings = 3.5
World building = 5
Cover arts = 2
Pace = N/A
Narrator = 4.5

Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5 cherries

Grave Sight by Charlaine Harris
Read by Alyssa Bresnahan

Book 1 of the Harper Connelly series

Format: audiobook
Genre: urban fantasy

About Grave Sight:

The "New York Times" bestselling author of "Dead as a Doornail" introduces a new supernatural mystery series featuring Harper Connelly, a woman who has what one might call a strange job: she finds dead people.

Source: Info in the About Grave Sight was taken from GoodReads at http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/58077.Grave_Sight on 02/02/2012.

Grave Surprise by Charlaine Harris
Read by Alyssa Bresnahan

Book 2 of the Harper Connelly series

Format: audiobook
Genre: urban fantasy

About Grave Surprise:

Charlaine Harris is already a star and a New York Times bestseller with her vampire mysteries starring Sookie Stackhouse and her Lily Bard mysteries. This second installment to her new supernatural mystery series might just be her biggest hit yet. Grave Sight's Harper Connelly is back, and her ability to find the dead and see their last moments is in higher demand than ever...

A college class gets more than it bargained for when Harper gives a demonstration of her uncanny talent. Instead of just finding one body in an old grave, she finds two: the original occupant and a recently deceased girl whom Harper had tried, and failed, to find two years previously. To dispel suspicions about her own innocence, Harper and her stepbrother Tolliver undertake their own hunt to find the killer-only to find yet another body in the same grave.

Source: Info in the About Grave Surprise was taken from GoodReads at http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/140078.Grave_Surprise on 02/02/2012.

An Ice Cold Grave by Charlaine Harris
Read by Alyssa Bresnahan

Book 3 of the Harper Connelly series

Format: audiobook
Genre: urban fantasy

About An Ice Cold Grave:

Hired to find a boy gene missing in Doraville, North Carolina, Harper Connelly and her brother Tolliver head there-only to discover that the boy was only one of several who had disappeared over the previous five years. All of them teenagers. All unlikely runaways. All calling for Harper. Harper soon finds them-eight victims, buried in the half-frozen ground, all come to an unspeakable end. Afterwards, what she most wants to do is collect her fee and get out of town ahead of the media storm that's soon to descend. But when she's attacked and prevented from leaving, she reluctantly becomes a part of the investigation as she learns more than she cares to about the dark mysteries and long-hidden secrets of Doraville-knowledge that makes her the next person likely to rest in an ice-cold grave.

Source: Info in the About An Ice Cold Grave was taken from GoodReads at http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/140097.An_Ice_Cold_Grave on 02/02/2012.

Grave Secret by Charlaine Harris
Read by Alyssa Bresnahan

Book 4 of the Harper Connelly series

Format: audiobook
Genre: urban fantasy

About Grave Secret:

New in the series from New York Times bestselling author of the Sookie Stackhouse novels.

Lightning-struck sleuth Harper Connelly and her stepbrother Tolliver take a break from looking for the dead to visit the two little girls they both think of as sisters. But, as always happens when they travel to Texas, memories of their horrible childhood resurface.

To make matters worse, Tolliver learns from his older brother that their father is out of jail and trying to reestablish contact with other family members. Tolliver wants no part of the man- but he may not have a choice in the matter.

Soon, family secrets ensnare them both, as Harper finally discovers what happened to her missing sister, Cameron, so many years before.

And what she finds out will change her world forever.

Source: Info in the About Grave Secret was taken from GoodReads at http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6344832-grave-secret on 02/02/2012.