Nick and Norah's
Many critics of Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist claim that it was a complete failure; that the writers were aiming for a Juno look-a-like, and ruined it miserably. Now, those who have read the book hopefully understand that Nick and Norah are very different characters than those portrayed in the movie Juno. Could it be that it was the same male lead (Michael Cera), but just because Kira Knightley is in Pirates and Pride and Prejudice you are not going to compare the two movies, are you?
On the other hand, there are raving reviews declaring how phenomenal this movie was. With is quirky funny drama, and closer to real teenagers (compared to the average bubbly, fairytale living or druggies we often see in movies) it is easy to follow and enjoy without reading the book. The main plot line is changed, but it does keep some of the book’s originality and dialogue. This of course is always a plus.
Personally, I would most definitely recommend this movie for anyone (unless you can’t stand teen drama and comedy). It’s very cute and the music is catchy. I’m not saying it is the best movie in the whole wide world but if it were to ever be on T.V. on a Saturday afternoon you should better believe that I would sit on my couch and watch it. Just make sure you go into it with an open mind and ready to laugh. = )
City of Ember
This movie did very well with keeping to the book. The plot was the more or less the same, but of course it being a movie there were slight changes here and there, none really messing up the movie. In some respect, the movie had a very little climax, although how much of that is the movie’s fault vs. the book’s, I really don’t know.
One part that really did disappoint me was the lack of information on how they got down to the city in the first place. Having read all of the books, I know how and why they did what they did, but in the movie it left people unhappily hanging. In fact those of my family who went to see it with me had to ask why they were there and what happened to everyone else, because the movie never said.
Overall, I think it was a good movie to see once, maybe twice. It was cute, but the characters seemed slightly shallow and monotone. There was little character development between Lina and Doon. It was defiantly an interesting movie. Go and see it, give it a chance. And who knows, you may just love it!
Twilight
Where to start? I don't even know.
Hmmm, ok. Let's begin with the hype. Movies like these always have huge amounts of pressure to get everything right with comparison to the book. Fans were, watching and re-watching any little interview or clip that they could get their hands on, becoming vacuums of information. People debated the worthiness of Robert Pattinson to play their dear Edward. They fought over their opinions of the skill of the director, screenwriter, and in multiple cases the cast. We really were a hard crowd to please. As time went on, new Twilighters appeared, and so did new expectations. By that fateful 12:01 a.m. November 21st, no one really knew what to expect.
Yes, I was one of those crazy people who went opening night. Yes, I did get in line quarter after nine (which, by the way was way too early). And yes, I did make t-shirts with my friends to wear to school that day. But no, I did not get what I expected. Not necessarily in a bad way, but it was definitely different. The Edward in the movie was much more real that I had ever imagined him to be. He was innocent, and vulnerable, and against all my previous oppositions he made me smile. He was human. It was nice. At the same time that I was discovering these wonderful surprises I was unable to not find downfalls. There were parts that felt horribly scripted (and I am not completely sure if this is a fail on the side of the actors or the writers, or that others even felt that way: as I am more inclined to see a script behind the acting because I am in theater) and the chemistry between Bella and Edward was off. They dumped the blood typing scene from the movie to add minutes of them staring into each others eyes and climbing trees. This leads me to my final thought, I thought it was funny. The only problem is, I'm not sure that it was meant to be comical. I mean seriously, Jasper's face? And quirky remarks from Edward like "it’s the fluorescent lighting" when asked about his eye color changing.
My best advise to you? Go see this for yourself. Because there are so many ways that these movie screwed up, and so many ways it rocks. It really just depends on what really matters to you.
