Early Movie Review: Epic

Title: Epic

Director: Chris Wedge

Producer: Lori Forte, Jerry Davis

Writers: Tom J. Astle, Matt Ember
Release Date: May 24, 2013

For more information about the movie, visit the official site here.

My Thoughts:

     Epic was a cute, family friendly movie, with a few good points to it. Going into it, I knew that it wasn’t really my kind of movie, but I do have to admit that I liked it better than I thought I would. Epic, to be honest was more of a middle-grade level movie, with hints of action, and a dash of romance. Although the pacing was a little slow, and I found myself wishing that some of the void had been filled with something else besides talking. As for the plot itself, it was interesting enough. Epic presented the idea of there being a world alongside ours, hidden in plain sight, but so tiny that it wasn’t very noticeable, as well as the prospect of this world moving faster than ours. Basically, this other world was one that protected the forest from destruction. While not the most original scenario ever, there was the twist with the Leafmen, who are the warriors who fight to protect the forest. It was more of a movie about the balance between good and evil, as one side strives to destroy the other and seize complete control. The fights were interesting enough, but I would have liked a little more background information. The characters were ok, especially Mary Katherine, or as she likes to be called, M.K.. She is a teenage struggling to live with her father after the untimely death of her mother. It leads to her being swept up amidst the struggle between good and evil. Professor Bomba, M.K.’s father, was silly at best, but I liked how much he grew during the movie. There were a few light and humorous moments thrown into the mix, and the ending was satisfying enough. If you're looking for a lighthearted, animated film, then Epic would be the movie for you.

I was invited as a guest to an Advanced Screening of Epic.

Check out the trailer below:

Review: Star Trek Into Darkness Directed by J.J. Abrams

Title:  Star Trek Into Darkness

Director:  J.J. Abrams

Written by: Alex Kurtzman, Robert Orci, and Damon Lindelof
Based on Star Trek created by Gene Rodenberry
Rated PG-13

Release Date:  May 17, 2013
For More Information visit the Official Site

I received advance screening tickets for Star Trek Into Darkness from the San Diego Union-Tribune. Thank You. Let me start by saying that I’m not attempting to summarize the movie, because there would be simply too many spoilers. These are merely my thoughts about Star Trek Into Darkness directed by JJ Abrams.

A heart-wrenching sacrifice was used in an attack against the Federation. The catastrophic event was arranged by none other than Harrison AKA Kahn. There was corruption within the organization. Consequently, the USS Enterprise was tasked with stopping Khan and averting a full-fledged war.

My first thoughts were that the cast of characters presented didn’t measure up to the original cast that I grew to love. Yeah, the same characters were there but something was just different. It was a modern day twist to a classic movie, which is sure to demand the attention of a new generation of movie goers/Trekkie fans. The action at the beginning of the movie was attention grabbing as Spock's life was in jeopardy and Captain James Kirk makes a rash decision regarding whether he should adhere to protocol or take actions based on the needs/safety of just one man. I just couldn’t picture anyone but the original actor, Leonard Nemoy, playing Spock. Then it happened--the plot started rolling, Spock was in danger, the USS Enterprise was revealed to the indigenous people,  corruption was among them, friendships were strengthened, and Kirk begins to adapt to his role as Captain. That’s when I realized that the movie had the perfect ingredients for success. Chris Pine (Captain Kirk) and Zachary Quinto (Spock) were exceptional in their roles. Bones and Scotty added a nice touch of humor to the plot. And I must say that Dr. Leonard McCoy AKA “Bones” was my absolute favorite character, because he was the crews dedicated doctor that would go to the extreme to complete a crew member’s examination.

Overall, Star Trek was more than the story of the USS Enterprise’s mission to protect the Federation and search for new civilizations. It portrays the crew as they learn to work together under the command of Captain Kirk. The growth of the crew was evident, as we are provided with details pertaining to their strengths and weaknesses. We learn why Spock appears to be emotionless and witness Captain Kirk’s development into a true leader.  In short, albeit, the modern day Star Trek had a different feel than the original version, it’s a new era for Star Trek fans, and it’s a movie that’s sure to be loved for generations to come.

 

Review: Torn by Erica O'Rourke

Title: Torn (Click on title for Synopsis)
Source/ Format: Won, Paperback
Age Range: YA
Publisher/Publication Date: Kensington, June 28, 2011




My Thoughts:

    I have to admit that I’ve put off reading Torn for a long time, but recently I moved it up on my list of things to read.  Although short, Torn presented me with a mystery that sucked me in—it had me wanting to know more about the characters.  O’Rourke did a fantastic job on the plot.

    From the first pages, the mystery became apparent with the murder of Mo’s best friend, an attack that almost left her dead as well.  It was heartbreaking seeing her struggle to regain her life, only to have it derailed again.  At some points I just felt so bad for her, not only was she still dealing with her friend’s death, she also learned some facts about herself and her family.  Then there was Luc.  From the beginning his motives were unclear to me, and I was left with a lot of questions.  Verity seemed like a good friend, but you can never tell things just from the exterior, after all, she did have her own set of secrets.

    With Torn, you never knew who was who until it was finally revealed.  The way it was written I honestly thought things were going to be predictable, but I was wrong about that.  There were some things I had an issue with, like the ages of both love interests, which kind of bugged me throughout the book, but the plot and writing style is what kept it going for me.  The ending left a lot of things open and I do want to see where the sequel takes things. I'm giving this book a 3.5.

 

  

Review: The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

Title:The Immortal Rules (Click on title for Synopsis)
Source/Format: Borrowed from library, Hardcover
Age Range: YA
Publisher/Publication Date: Harlequin Teen, April 24, 2012




My Thoughts:

     Ok, first off: Dystopian + Vampires= how can you go wrong with that?  Well, so many ways, but that’s not what happened here.  Wow, I have to say that I loved The Immortal Rules, and honestly it’s one of the better dystopian books I’ve read this year.  Kagawa has done it again.  She’s crafted another fast-paced, edge-of-your-seat, full of action novel with an extraordinarily twisted plot and finely honed characters.  Needless to say, I will be moving The Eternity Cure up on my list of things to read.

     The Immortal Rules follows Allison (Allie) Sekemoto, an unregistered, who is just trying to survive in a cruel world dominated by vampires.  She lives in a place called the Fringe with other unregistered's.  Soon, trouble plagues Allie, and she ends up making a decision that changes the course of her life.  As a vampire, she struggles with controlling herself, while clinging to the shreds of her old life.  She has Kanin, the vampire that turned her, to help her, but even then, nothing was stable, and soon she’s forced to leave the city she’s known since birth. I loved seeing Allie develop as a character, as she fit into her new role, as well as trying to do the right thing despite her new nature.

     As I said before, the plot had me on the edge-of-my-seat wondering what happened next.  There were some really intense fighting scenes that had me wondering if Allison was going to pull through.  From the way The Immortal Rules ended, I honestly have no clue what’s going to happen in The Eternity Cure, but I can’t wait to find out.   

 

Review: The Summer I Became a Nerd by Leah Rae Miller

Title: The Summer I Became a Nerd (Click on the link for the synopsis)
Author: Leah Rae Miller
Source/Format: Publisher, ebook
Age Range: YA
Publisher/Publication Date: Entangled Publishing, May 7, 2013

Favorite Quote:

“Be true to yourself and others will be true to you, too” (17).

My Thoughts:

I absolutely love, love, love The Summer I Became a Nerd by Leah Rae Miller. It’s the perfect book to start summer and for teens dealing with identity issues.  It’s a refreshing coming of age story in which Maddie, the main character, embraces her true self. The characters and plot are realistic and well-developed. First there’s Maddie, a cheerleader who wants to fit into the status quo; yet, she’s an undercover comic book lover. And the chemistry of her and her boyfriend, Eric, are questionable at best.  Then there is Logan, a nerd who has the same interests as Maddie.  But she has to keep her interests and friendship with Logan a secret to maintain her position within the in crowd. Throughout the book Maddie continued to deal with her inner conflict, even though at times she seemed to be increasingly comfortable with whom she was. Then there is Dan-the-man, Logan’s friend, he definitely needs his own story. His antics had me laughing out loud. He is so blunt and straightforward, it’s hilarious. The one theme that resonates throughout the book is that you shouldn’t try to fit into the role that everyone has created for you, you should just be yourself. I only wonder if “The Summer I Became Myself” would be a more suitable title.

I received a copy of The Summer I Became a Nerd by Leah Rae Miller from the publisher in exchange for an unbiased review. Thank you.

 

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