Genre Grandeur – Mean Girls (2004) – Life of This City Girl

Here’s my installment for Rob’s Genre Grandeur! Go take a look 🙂

MovieRob

For this month’s next entry for Genre Grandeur February – Coming of Age movie’s, here’s a review of Mean Girls (2004) by Natasha of Life of This City Girl

Thanks again to Justine of Justine’s movie blog for choosing this month’s genre.

Next month’s Genre, chosen by  Anna of Film Grimoire will be Latin Director movies. To participate, send me your review to latin@movierob.net by 25th Mar.  Thanks to Anna for a great and diverse choice.

Let’s see what Natasha thought of this movie:

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Genre Grandeur: Mean Girls (2004) – Life of this City Girl

When I saw that this month’s Genre Grandeur was Coming of Age movies I felt rather excited. I think that few movies manage to be as fun as a film about a bunch of hormonal teenagers properly made. It has elements that make it truly hilarious – hormones, impossible situations, a time where you…

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February 25, 2015 by Natasha Categories: Uncategorized 2 Comments

Series Review: Homeland Season 4

Rating: 8/10

(I did strikethrough on plot reveals – BEWARE!)

Once, long ago, I was able to switch a show off and not binge watch it until two o clock in the morning. That is no more because Homeland has no ethical values about normal sleeping patterns. Season four started off fine, but I was very detached from it all. Then the last few episodes happen: stuff blowing up, sieges, people getting abducted, and death all over the place. I could not stop watching, and I have the feeling that I will have a Sherlock sulk because Homeland is done now and Season 5 hasn’t even aired yet. Season four is miles better than season three. This is the order in which I will rand Homeland seasons in order of excellence:

Season 4

Season 2

Season 1

Season 3

The fourth season felt fresh. I enjoyed it because they didn’t have that pesky Nicholas Brody story arc to deal with anymore, and they could focus on what the show does best – the intricacies of counter-terrorism.

Homeland had a new and viable direction with the Pakistani government and their views on terrorism. Homeland is expert on creating situations where you have no idea who to root for. In season one and two it was Nicholas Brody – a pitiful character that went through probably one of the worst things anyone will ever go through, but I never really had a handle on if he was good or bad. The only villain that I can say I successfully wanted to be popped is Majid Javadi back in Season Three. He was the only character in Homeland that I could hate one hundred percent (maybe that is why Season Three wasn’t so powerful for me). This season’s chosen terrorist, Haissam Haqqani, was revolting and cruel, but he said some things that made me think twice about what he thought of the world.

What I liked:

All the sass that was thrown to Carrie’s side: “There is not even a disease for what is wrong with you”, and “it’s not about you” were two of my favorite lines. Carrie always messes up but no one, except Saul, ever told her exactly what they think about her actions. Not anymore though. Carrie is getting it from all sides, and it is maybe the one thing that can make her character more bearable.

Episodes 6-10: The season started off with the slow pace Homeland is known for, and then exploded with Saul’s kidnapping. The last two episodes had me biting my nails and exclaiming out loud – not something  I usually do when watching a show alone.

Quinn’s character development:  Quinn and Saul are my favorite characters in this show. I feel about them like I feel about Tyrion Lannister – pop him (or them) and I’m out. A big flaw in Homeland’s makeup was that they started season three with possible character development for Quinn and then just dropped it when they had other things to put up on the screen. Quinn began this season with a traumatic experience but luckily this time around he is developed. I appreciated his German friend’s opinion on Quinn that he will always try to leave the CIA but will never do it – accept that about him or walk away. I do not appreciate the Quinn loves Carrie storyline at all. As I mentioned to Zoë, Quinn needs a real nice person to save him and Carrie doesn’t even qualify as a real person in my eyes. Him hooking up with his apartment block supervisor gave me quite a start, I’ll admit, but I would still prefer him with that lady instead of Carrie.

How the hell did I start liking Director Lockhart? He was such a pig in Season Three when he stole the CIA directorship from Saul. I did not think I would ever like him, and suddenly he is a guy you start feeling sorry for and respecting, especially with the invasion of Embassy and him attempting to save Farah’s life.

Ambassador Martha Boyd: She was classy and kept a cool head during everything. I liked her the entire season through, especially when she refused to let Carrie run amok in the Embassy.

I would have enjoyed more of John Redmond, the second in command at the Istanbul station. He was such a no-nonsense guy – you knew he was good, hardworking and loyal, and once he dealt with not being Chief of Station he got over it and helped Carrie where he could.

Aasar Khan:  I very much enjoyed the addition of Raza Jaffrey as Khan. It was also unclear if Khan was good or bad, but I did start leaning towards good once he kept Carrie safe after she was drugged. He seems like the only good man in the ISI right now, and I would love if he could come back in Season 5. Also, isn’t he just dapper in his military uniform?

Saul’s relationship with Haissam Haqqani during his capture: You have got to have deep admiration for a man that speaks his mind when he is locked up by terrorists. What I liked about Haqqani was his good treatment of Saul (I am sure he didn’t extend the courtesy of that to all his prisoners though) and how they had their debates about their extremely different views on life and freedom.

Dafuq, PLOT TWIST: There was this one moment where I was so WHAT THE FUCK. It messed up my mind completely and I was shocked for about five full minutes until the producers deemed it fit to let you understand what you are seeing. If it HAD been true, I would have recommended the writers start up Days of Our Lives again, because it was such a soapie thing to happen. But WOW was I shocked.

What I didn’t like:

Carrie Mathison. More shows should have strong female leads. That includes Homeland, because Carrie is not a strong female lead. The things she did in this season far eclipses everything she did in the previous three seasons combined. I did not take kindly to her deserting the child she had conceived with the man she apparently had loved so much, and her seducing a vulnerable young man nearly made me retch, she just doing what she wants with not a thought of who gets hurt. Clare Danes should be applauded for being able to portray such a horrific woman.I’ve stomached so much from her in the past three seasons but she really went to a whole new level with her molesting that kid. I don’t care what anyone says, she was way too old and experienced for him.

Terrorists getting away: As with Javadi, Haqqani also gets away. It may be unrealistic, but I would have loved if Quinn had managed to blow up the terrorist that had killed Farah.

Carrie’s mom making an appearance: This arc may be an indicator that the focus of Season 5 can be shifting to Carrie’s domestic problems, and I don’t have the patience to deal with that. Her mother came across just as selfish and petty as Carrie was, and we don’t need someone else like that right now. The one thing I do agree with Carrie is that what her mother did, whatever reason, was unfair toward her and her sister as children.

Well, there wasn’t much that I really disliked. I will even go a bit further and say that Carrie wasn’t as horrible in the last fifteen minutes of the 4^th season as she usually is. Homeland Season 4 is a must watch, a saving grace after the poor season three and as nail-biting as you could ever hope it to be.

February 25, 2015February 24, 2015 by Natasha Categories: Reviews, SeriesTags: Aasar Khan, Carrie Mathinson, Claire Danes, Homeland, Homeland season 4, Peter Quinn, Raza Jaffrey, Reviews, Rupert Friend, Saul Berenson, Series 4 Comments

Movie Review: Kingsman: The Secret Service (2015)

“Manners maketh man. Do you know what that means? Then let me teach you a lesson.”

Plot: A spy organization recruits an unrefined, but promising street kid into the agency’s ultra-competitive training program just as a global threat emerges from a twisted tech genius.

Rating: 8/10

My little sister and I are solidly in the “we WON’T help Fifty Shades of Grey reach the billion dollar mark at the cinema” camp, so we chose to go watch Kingsmen this Saturday and man, that was forty bucks well spent.

Kingsman is 100% fun and a great action film. Colin Firth sets the standard for kicking ass in a suit. I’ve never seen him in anything remotely like this and would never have thought it could work. It worked unbelievably well and I would support any person that chose him as the next Bond.

Taron Egerton as Gary “Eggsy” Unwin did very well. I was unaware of his existence prior to this, and now I’m willing to watch anything with him in it. He was rough and angry and he truly seemed like a crazy English football fan. His journey from being a troublemaker to becoming someone aware of his capabilities was worth the watch. Eggsy is also my final proof in the argument FOR the Suit and against the Flatcap. Through the entire movie I was very meh about Egerton’s looks, and hell, then that suit happened. Bless that suit. Bless it now!

I wasn’t a fan of Samuel L. Jackson’s Valentine. He was such a un-terrifying villain but what I did get from him was that people are currently obsessed with celebrities and are controlled through their mobile devices. His sidekick and her startling abilities was rather good to see and she was way more villainous than her master.

Kingsman has a very satirical and mocking take on the whole spy-genre and it was immensely pleasing to see how they could joke around, swear at each other, get out of impossible situations, look classy and get things done all at the same time. The fighting scenes were incredible to behold and the music score during the fights made it all feel so surreal.

Most importantly, this movie is long but it doesn’t feel long, and I don’t say that often at all. It’s an excellent film and the only suggestion I would have given the producers was to release it at another time – Fifty Shades is undeserving to lead the box-office when there is something like this running around. Do yourself a favor and go see this!

February 24, 2015February 23, 2015 by Natasha Categories: Movies, ReviewsTags: Colin Firth, Kingsman: Secret Service, Michael Caine, Samuel L. Jackson, Taron Egerton 11 Comments

Marvelous Mondays: The Amazing Spiderman by MovieRob

Welcome to another installment of Marvelous Mondays. Rob is back and this time he is telling us what he thought about the Amazing Spiderman. Thanks for being such a big part in this Rob!

Peter? I know things have been difficult lately and I’m sorry about that. I think I know what you’re feeling. Ever since you were a little boy, you’ve been living with so many unresolved things. Well, take it from an old man. Those things send us down a road… they make us who we are. And if anyone’s destined for greatness, it’s you, son. You owe the world your gifts. You just have to figure out how to use them and know that wherever they take you, we’ll always be here. So, come on home, Peter. You’re my hero… and I love you! ” – Ben Parker

Number of Times Seen – 3 (21 Oct 2012, 24 Jul 2014 and13 Feb 2015)

Brief Synopsis – After a high school student is bitten by a radioactive spider, he begins to experience strange unexplained changes that give him spider-like powers

My Take on it – I am in the camp of moviegoers who think that Tobey Maguire was a better Spiderman than Andrew Garfield. Maguire played the role in a more mature manner while Garfield’s version seemed too pompous.

I’m still not sure why there was a need within such a short time frame to create a new origin story for Spiderman.

As interesting as this version is, the storyline and villains just aren’t as good as in the previous trilogy.  The Lizard just isn’t as good a foe as The Green Goblin and this movie suffers a bit because of that, but it still has some thrilling scenes and effects.

I’m really glad that this franchise will now be a part of the larger Marvel Universe series because of the direction this seemed to be going.

I’m very interested to see where they will take these characters and merge them in the overall Marvel storyline.

Bottom Line – Interesting origin story but was done too soon after the Tobey Maguire trilogy.  The previous trilogy worked better with its storyline.   Glad to see that this franchise will now be part of the Marvel superhero franchise. Villains aren’t very worthy of the Spiderman series, but still fit well within the framework created here.  Recommended!

MovieRob’s Favorite Trivia – After Denis Leary was cast, his friend Jeff Garlin, a Spider-Man fan, said “I knew you would get the part.” To which Leary replied “Why? Because I’m such a great actor?” Garlin then said, “no, because you look just like Captain Stacy.” (From IMDB)

Rating – Globe Worthy (8/10)

February 23, 2015February 22, 2015 by Natasha Categories: Marvelous Mondays, Movies, ReviewsTags: Amazing Spiderman, Marvelous Mondays, Movies, Reviews 8 Comments

The Iconic Book Scene: NOS4A2 by the Sporadic Chronicles of a Beginner Blogger

Whoop! Another great scene from Zoë! Thanks bestie!

I have been reading as much of Joe Hill’s work as I am able to lay my hands on as the man is an absolutely amazing writer. I recently started NOS4A2, and I am enjoying it immensely. I stumbled across this paragraph and I just fell in love, the man has such a way with words and these ones, particularly, needed to be shared! 

February 19, 2015February 16, 2015 by Natasha Categories: Books, The Iconic Book SceneTags: Books, Iconic Book Scene, NOS4A2, Reviews 20 Comments

Book Review: Blood Magick (Nora Roberts)

Plot: (via Goodreads)  County Mayo is rich in the traditions of Ireland, legends that Branna O’Dwyer fully embraces in her life and in her work as the proprietor of The Dark Witch shop, which carries soaps, lotions, and candles for tourists, made with Branna’s special touch.

Branna’s strength and selflessness hold together a close circle of friends and family—along with their horses and hawks and her beloved hound. But there’s a single missing link in the chain of her life: love…

She had it once—for a moment—with Finbar Burke, but a shared future is forbidden by history and blood. Which is why Fin has spent his life traveling the world to fill the abyss left in him by Branna, focusing on work rather than passion.

Branna and Fin’s relationship offers them both comfort and torment. And though they succumb to the heat between them, there can be no promises for tomorrow. A storm of shadows threatens everything that their circle holds dear. It will be Fin’s power, loyalty, and heart that will make all the difference in an age-old battle between the bonds that hold their friends together and the evil that has haunted their families for centuries.

Rating: 5/10

Well then, another Nora Roberts trilogy has been completed. The only accomplishment finishing the Cousins O’Dwyer trilogy brings is relief that the excruciating pain can come to an end. As the last book of the three, Blood Magick is exactly what I thought it would be: A woman and a man really love each other, but something (his need for space, her need for independence, some ancient branding) forces them to break up as teenagers. Years later they realise that wow, they can do whatever they want as they are both adults and end up banging each other. Shortly thereafter they find a way to beat unspeakable odds and stay happy forever. (The plot for Face the Fire is shockingly the same)

Even though it was formulaic in the worst sense, I did enjoy finishing the series. Cabhan gets destroyed, just as he deserves, and all the happy couples can be together forever – Iona and Boyd, Meara and Connor, Branna and Finbar.

I did like Branna. She is arguably the strongest of all the ladies and the most comfortable with her power. I enjoyed Finbar too – I don’t usually like odd names in romance books because it seems so forced, but I thought Finbar a very unique name. I loved his barely controlled anger at his fate and determination to get done what needs to be done.

Sadly, I think as it is time for Peter Jackson to stay out of Middle Earth, it is time for Nora Roberts to stay out of Ireland. She is harping on their magic and ancestry too much than needs be and it is her go to material when she has nothing else. I love the author, really I do, but there are plenty of countries around the globe with enough mysticism that she can rather go there and work on something with that information. Her books used to be very unique and fun but now I can’t help just wishing the book would get done already.

Recommendation: This would work if you were in the mood for some fun, but not much else.

February 18, 2015February 16, 2015 by Natasha Categories: Books, ReviewsTags: Blood Magick, Books, Branna O'Dwyer, Cabhan, Finbar Burke, Iona Sheenan, Nora Roberts, Reviews 3 Comments

Movie Review: Dracula Untold (2014)

Vlad: “Men don’t fear swords. They fear monsters.”

IMDb: As his kingdom is being threatened by the Turks, young prince Vlad Tepes must become a monster feared by his own people in order to obtain the power needed to protect his own family, and the families of his kingdom.

 

Rating: 7/10

This movie has the worst ratings on IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes (especially), which just shows how critics can troll a movie when they want because Dracula Untold is not nearly as shitty as they would like you to believe. I had a really good time, especially since the movie was paced in a way that it doesn’t feel dragged out, the characters are interesting and the effects are rather amazing. The film looks really good as well – it was shot beautifully and the dark tone was interesting and compelling. The story isn’t a hundred percent solid but once again it’s not bad and you can follow what is going on all the and you can have a great time if you are not dead focused on looking at its faults.

The beginning does feel rushed because I would have appreciated more background on Vlad, why he ended up hating the Turks, his relationship with Mehmed and the bond they shared as children. The initial meeting with the Master Vampire went by too quickly and his abilities and background was mostly taken as something the audience would understand and not something to be explored on screen. I also think that Vlad’s supernatural powers was inconsistent because he could hear excellently at some points but it was weakened at other points and there were the same issues with his supernatural eyesight as well. The reincarnation at the end of Dracula Untold made up for unneeded deaths

Luke Evans has been edging his way into Hollywood as someone solid to keep your eye on and he did a fantastic job as Vlad. Evans made you understand that Vlad had seen a great deal of horror in his life; he had an epic story that followed him, that he was powerful before his consumption of vampire blood and he only did it to save his people, not for personal gain. His love for his wife and how gentle he was with her was sweet and I understood that she and Ingeras were Vlad’s redemption from his former life.

Dominic Cooper actually managed to not look like a spoiled little boy (this has always been my perception of him) and I thought he looked exactly like a leader of that time – faintly ridiculous in his garb but still not someone you would mess with.

Charles Dance friggin ROCKED as Master Vampire. His voice is so unmistakable that I immediately recognized Tywin Lannister and he looked eery and wicked cool.

I have some good things to say about Art Parkinson and Sarah Gadon. Art, also a Game of Thrones protégée, steered clear of being annoying, something he probably learnt at the GoT studios because those kids are less irritating than other children in shows and movies. Sarah Gadon is absolutely gorgeous but more importantly she was a strong character, wasn’t all swoony in the arms of her majestic prince and could act – the women in these dark fantasy roles are useless characters most of the time.

Dracula Untold was eons better than The Hobbit: Battle of Five Armies, which Evans also stars in, and I,Frankenstein, which are the two movies of 2014 I could group it with. Dracula Untold has some flaws, but the acting is solid and the overall feel of the movie made for an entertaining time.

February 17, 2015February 16, 2015 by Natasha Categories: Movies, ReviewsTags: Art Parkinson, Charles Dance, Dominic Cooper, Luke Evans, Movies, Reviews, Sarah Gadon 5 Comments

Marvelous Mondays: The Incredible Hulk (2008) by the Cinematic Frontier

Happy Mondays, folks! We are stealthily approaching the end of our fantastic Marvelous Mondays blogathon. If you are still keen to review a movie, let me know and we’ll work something out!

Louis from the Cinematic Frontier has been kind enough to contribute. Let’s see what he thinks about the Incredible Hulk (also, if you haven’t been to his site, I suggest you hop over and click that follow button!) Thanks Louis!

 

Marvel Studios kicked off Phase One of its cinematic universe with Iron Man in May 2008.  The following month saw the release of its second entry,The Incredible Hulk, a reboot of the 2003 Ang Lee film that was designed to connect the Hulk to Iron Man and future Marvel Studios films.  Marvel promised fans a ton of Hulk action in this installment and a lot less of the cerebral Shakespearean family tragedy that dominated Lee’s film.  Marvel even hired director Louis Leterrier of The Transporter films just to show that The Incredible Hulk would showcase lots of Hulk action.  I saw The Incredible Hulk on the big screen not long after it opened, and although I missed the Shakespearean family drama elements of Lee’s film, I still enjoyed Leterrier’s film very much.  This review of The Incredible Hulk is my entry in Natasha Stander’s Marvelous Mondays Blogathon over at her blog Life of This City Girl.

2008’s The Incredible Hulk follows Dr. Bruce Banner, who has been on the run from the U.S. government for the last five years after a laboratory accident turned him into a giant green monster (leaving his girlfriend Betty Ross injured and her father, General “Thunderbolt” Ross, determined to bring Banner into custody).  After General Ross unsuccessfully attempts to capture Banner in Brazil, Banner is forced to return to the U.S. in the hope of finding a cure for all the gamma radiation that is still in his blood.  He must also contend with Emil Blonsky, a British soldier who has been injected with a super soldier serum that has some dangerous and lethal side effects.  A terrific cast was assembled for this film: Edward Norton (as Banner and the Hulk), Liv Tyler (as Betty Ross), William Hurt (as General Ross), Tim Roth (as Blonsky and the Abomination), Ty Burrell (as Dr. Leonard Samson), Tim Blake Nelson (as Dr. Samuel Sterns), and cameos by Stan Lee, Lou Ferrigno, and Robert Downey Jr.  Norton is excellent as the conflicted Banner, constantly struggling to reconcile with his other half (the Hulk).  Over the course of the film, Banner is working to get rid of the Hulk but must also deal with the possibility that he might have to just learn how to control it instead.

The screenplay by Zak Penn (with uncredited rewrites by Norton) is interesting in that it doesn’t just reboot the Hulk franchise; it also functions as a re-casted sequel to Ang Lee’s 2003 Hulk film that is now set in the Marvel Cinematic Universe (a lot of Stark technology and weapons show up periodically due to their use by the U.S. military and even S.H.I.E.L.D. makes a subtle appearance behind-the-scenes).  I was also fascinated by Emil Blonsky’s character arc; here’s a man who loved being a soldier so much that he was willing to have himself injected with an unsafe super soldier serum (and later Banner’s mutated DNA) that ended up turning him into something monstrous.  Burrell’s Doc Samson was also an interesting character in his efforts to understand Betty and his attempt to help Banner (most of Burrell’s scenes, along with a lot of great character development scenes, were cut out to reduce the running time; Norton’s cut of the film would’ve kept these scenes, which are available on the DVD and blu-ray).  The reference to the 1970s/1980s TV show The Incredible Hulk were also a nice touch.

The special effects are incredible (I just had to go for it), as is the production design by Kirk M. Petruccelli, Peter Menzies Jr.’s cinematography, and Craig Armstrong’s emotional and action-packed score (which even includes one reprisal of Joe Harnell’s Lonely Man theme from The Incredible Hulk TV series).  Leterrier’s direction is strong and he delivers the action goods.  Leterrier’s film is a good one, but could’ve been a great one if those character scenes cut from the film had been kept (they would’ve added more depth to the film).  Regardless, it’s still worth watching and fans are still clamoring for another Hulk film (I hope Marvel gives us one soon).

February 16, 2015February 15, 2015 by Natasha Categories: Movies, ReviewsTags: Edward Norton, Marvelous Mondays, Movies, Reviews, The Incredible Hulk 3 Comments

Movies 2014: Top Ten

Well, I’ve taken a look at the movies I’ve seen in 2014, and this is my top ten list. I will definitely have to see a few more of 2014 (Interstellar and Fury especially) but so far, these listed below impressed me the most. Let me know what you think of these!

Gone Girl

I haven’t fangirled nearly enough about how much I loved this movie. IT IS THE BEST EVER! I was so surprised and I could not look away for even a second. The time flew and I thought everything was just perfectly done – Amy Dunne’s ruthless and psychotic nature and Ben Affleck keeping you on your toes wondering if Nick Dunne murdered his wife or not. EVERYTHING!

The Theory of Everything

A powerful and beautiful story about a man who just couldn’t be knocked down by life and the woman who loved him, The Theory of Everything is a gorgeous onscreen experience of the miraculous existence of Stephen Hawking. I thought Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones were gorgeous together and the movie is filmed with exquisite attention to detail.

Captain America: Winter Soldier

The Marvel love continues with the Captain setting out to stop Hydra and their S.H.I.E.L.D insurgents from releasing helicrafts and controlling the world, and the Cap is faced with an enemy he might not have the heart to destroy. Once again the gorgeous Evans and Stan brought our favorite heroes/villains to life, and Marvel continued their excellent adaption of the Captain America franchise. The story is fast paced, the villains are complex and interesting, and the battle between good and evil keeps me riveted to my seat every time I watch it.

X-Men: Days of Future Past

This is not a superhero post or a Marvel ass-kissing one either, but Marvel made 2014 their year by bringing out three great superhero movies. Days of Future Past is the first X-Men movie I can remember seeing – I might have watched one as a kid but if I did I can’t recall. The Mutants blew me off my feet – the complexities of their characters, the demons Magnetto and Professor X must deal with and the end-of-the-world feel the entire movie has. This movie is a must see if you love your superheroes, and while watching this movie after you’ve seen X-Men: First Class would be beneficial, I saw it without prior knowledge and could follow easily through flashbacks the characters have.

The Fault in Our Stars

I don’t really do crying in movies, but this one had me going. Based on John Green’s beautiful novel of two cancer ridden teenagers falling in love, TFIOS is poignant and heartbreaking. The director did an excellent job with the filming and the casting of Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort was truly inspired.

The Grand Budapest Hotel

As the only arty movie on this list, The Grand Budapest Hotel is enormous amounts of fun to watch. From the bizarre appearance of Tilda Swilton to the hilarity of Ralph Fiennes’ character, The Grand Budapest Hotel is quirky and original, and a great way to spend your time on.

Edge of Tomorrow

This movie made a lot of sense for a movie that shouldn’t have made sense. It was action packed and fast paced, the characters had chemistry and slid effortlessly into roles, the female actually kicked better ass than the male (FTW) and the end was just murky enough to leave you with some (good) questions in your head.

Guardians of the Galaxy

In full disclosure, I wasn’t as crazy about this as everyone else. That said, it was still good, the graphics were cool, and still deserves to be on every top ten list out there, because Chris Pratt was entertaining as hell. Groot is currently up there with Toothless as my favorite animated things and Rocket is still the cutest little thing out there, with so much sass.

Mockingjay Part One

I know people had beef with this but I enjoyed it. I think it would have been extremely hard to achieve the greatness Catching Fire did, and the franchise had been sitting on a pedestal it had been screaming to fall off from. I thought Katniss’ anguish with having Peeta in captivity was perfectly done by Jennifer Lawrence, and I am super glad that Gale had more showtime in here (because Heeeeey, Liam Hemsworth. I have always maintained that Gale is the better choice for me, but whatever, Katniss, whatever)

How To Train Your Dragon Part 2

Hmmm, I never thought I would put up an animation as part of any top ten list. BUT, this movie is super cute and I love Toothless, so it deserves a mention, except for THE HEARTBREAKING ANGUISH. (I’m not telling you who dies, go watch it yourself)

February 13, 2015February 13, 2015 by Natasha Categories: Movies, Reviews 14 Comments

Nicholas Sparks Movies: A rundown of the good, the bad and the downright cheesy

I hope you guys enjoyed my double posting yesterday – HINT: I accidentally scheduled both posts for Tuesday instead of Tuesday and Wednesday, and I realized this at work. Sometimes I really do wonder if I’m as smart as my mom thinks I am…

To continue our nice cheese venture we will today take a look at the Nicholas Sparks movie adaptations I’ve seen.  Of the nine movie adaptions Sparks produced I’ve seen seven, which you can see listed below. The other two are Message in a Bottle and Nights in Rodanthe is definitely something I’ll find the time to watch and then come tell you all about it.

When you willingly choose to watch a Nicholas Sparks movie, you can know for a fact that it will be unbelievable, inconceivable and utterly romantic. Nicholas Sparks is Disney for grownups – the male lead is sensitive and wants you to love him eternally and the woman is damn lucky to find him wandering on her little stretch of Southern American road. There will be villains but mostly there will be love and adventure and lots of smooch time.

Still, I can watch most of these movies and have fun while doing it. It sets you on an emotional high and even though it creates a false idea in your head permanently that men are like that, you still feel pretty happy afterwards (the depression sets in when Spark’s kills someone, and he loves killing, that man)

Nic Sparks movies watched, ranked from best to worst:

The Notebook (2004)

A Walk To Remember (2002)

The Lucky One (2012)

Dear John (2010)

Safe Haven (2013)

The Last Song (2010)

Best of Me (2014)

Female Leads

First Place: Rachel McAdams as Allie Hamilton

Rachel McAdams has always been the epitome of class to me. Even from her days as skanky Regina George, McAdams made sure you notice her and it wasn’t surprising to anyone that she became the most successful of the Mean Girls clan. McAdams plays a darling Southern girl perfectly and even though she is hampered by the time she grows up in Allie Hamilton still gets her say in things and she is determined.

Second Place: Mandy Moore as Jamie Sullivan

A Walk to Remember went down when Mandy Moore was still relevant, and I’m surprised this didn’t take her even further into fame. She manages to be the sweet, innocent and sincere Jamie without being too sugary and that is a mean feat to achieve. She also worked really well with Shane West, and they complement each other well enough so that you end up sobbing for them. I really do enjoy A Walk to Remember – it is a book and a movie where Nicholas Sparks was still original and had fresh ideas, and you couldn’t predict what would happen.

#bringBackOriginality

Third Place: Amanda Seyfried as Savannah Curtis

Amanda Seyfried probably ranks as one of my favorite young female actresses. I love her unique looks and her acting ability. She always seems so sweet and pure and that made her perfect as Savannah. I don’t think she has a lot of chemistry with Channing Tatum but they made a good pair onscreen and I also really liked Savannah’s character – she put others above her own needs and cared for the people in her life.

Honorable mention: Miley Cyrus as Ronnie Miller

I used to adore Miley Cyrus. Really, I know she grated on everybody’s nerves long before she grated against Robin Thicke, but I’ve always liked her voice. She wasn’t by any stretch of the imagination a good actress in the The Last Song, but it was pretty much the last time we all understood Miley Cyrus. I also really liked her and Hemsworth together (reunite now, lovebirds!)

Male Leads: Deliciousness always

To land a spot as the main man in a Nicholas Sparks movie, there are two main requirements:

One: Be so hot you are one of the main culprits in a sudden increase in global warming

Two: Have the ability to look pained/pensive/heroic with extra benefits if you can do all these at once.

That said, most actors in these adaptions have done a very good job and they are all fine actors. I think some of them like Channing Tatum and Zac Efron (Especially Efron) are still proving themselves in Hollywood and romantic movies is a good way to get noticed #MatthewMcConaughey

First Place: Ryan Gosling as Noah Calhoun

My favorite actor in this set of movies is definitely Ryan Gosling: I love the man, I loved Noah in the books and how Gosling represented Noah in the adaption. Gosling himself is three hundred percent charm and can act exceptionally well. The Chemistry between the main characters is another topic but the intense attraction between Gosling and McAdams also contribute greatly to the success of both their roles.

Second Place: Shane West as Landon Carter

Shane West has the perfect face and personality to be the angry teenager with a chip on his shoulder. He worked as Landon Carter as few others could have and he brought the change that took place in Landon after he met Jamie to the table authentically. He had very decent character development – Landon was a spoiled rich kid that found something more rewarding to live for than getting in trouble all the time.

Third Place: James Marsden as Dawson Cole

I had a truckload of issues with this movie, but James Marsden as the leading man in Best of Me was a good choice, even if he had no chemistry with Michelle Monaghan. Marsden is cute as hell, he can act, he has gorgeous blue eyes and he is a perfect mix of defiance and sweetness in his portrayal of Cole.

Honorable mention: Zac Efron as Logan Thibault

For the sake of full disclosure, I’m admitting I just wanted him on here because he’s so gorgeous. That, and he really did the sad, hardworking ex-marine thing well (go talk to Zoë about that obsession of mine)

Yes, It’s Zac Efron holding a dog. You’re welcome!

Death of a Central Character:

Contenders:

George Martin

Suzanne Collins

Veronica Roth

JK Rowling

Nicholas Sparks

In this epic battle Veronica Roth and Suzanne Collins would square off, but I think Collins would win as the most psycho writer because we loved Finnick WAY more than we loved Tris, right? Then as our next set of contenders we would have George Martin killing Nicholas Sparks without mercy (beheading, of course) while JK Rowling would not even notice them and keep writing in her castle, smugly, because she killed Dumbledore, Mad-Eye, Hedwig, Dobby, Lupin, Tonks, Fred, Sirius and Snape within a book and a half.

My point here is that Sparks sure loves killing people off but it is usually after they’ve gotten some bits of happiness in. The impact is also less because his books are singular entries and not a continuing series, so your attachment, book or movie-wise is not gut wrenching forever.

The title for the saddest Nicholas Sparks movie is shared by The Notebook and A Walk To Remember. You can still argue that A Walk To Remember is worst, because Noah and Allie end up together for a few decades before they both die whereas Jamie dies on Landon a few months after they fall in love.

Book Vs Movie

But will I rewatch?

Best of Me (2014): No. It’s mediocre at best and there are far better alternatives if you want some cheesy romance.

Safe Haven (2013): Maybe – It’s not horrid but it’s not the best movie either

The Lucky One (2012): It has Zac Efron in, I definitely will

The Last Song (2010):  Hmmm, maybe.

The Notebook (2004): You mean apart from the other ten times I’ve rewatched? Then yes.

Dear John (2010): Hmmm, maybe.

A Walk to Remember (2002): Definitely. Nothing better than a good cry 😀

Hope you enjoyed this enormous post! Let me know what your opinions are about the movies you’ve seen on this list!

February 11, 2015February 10, 2015 by Natasha Categories: UncategorizedTags: A walk to remember, Amanda Seyfried, Best of Me, Dear John, James Marsden, Mandy Moore, Miley Cyrus, Nicholas Sparks, Rachel McAdams, Ryan Gosling, Safe Haven, Shane West, The Last Song, The Lucky One, The Notebook, Zac Efron 9 Comments