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Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters (2013)
An unexpected adventure
I personally adore the books, and although I think that they are targeted towards 10 year old boys who enjoy adventure, they are worth the read!
Therefore, when I watched the film adaptation of Percy Jackson: The Sea of Monsters I was slightly nervous. This was because the first film was so good as measured up so well, including all of the vital facts from the first book; and also because there's always an underlying fear that the second part of a series is never as good as the first.
However, this film took me completely by surprise. Great for all of the family, it serves the purpose of danger, drama and adventure, just as Percy Jackson should always be. The slightest hint of romance was also present in this film, with the Percy/Annabeth plot line much more vibrant in this second film than in either it's corresponding book, or the first film, which should help to keep the audience enthralled with the series. Although this was different in the books (there was nothing but friendship between the two until book 4) I think this was a strong move for the writers to make.
I do wonder how many of these films they are planning to develop; with five books I would hope all five would be filmed. There are hints that the final book at least will be developed into a film, with the introduction of Percy's prophecy in the Sea of Monsters.
The characters were ever lovable; Percy's charm, Annabeth's wit and Grover's humour. Leven Rambin made a extraordinary portrayal of the character Clarisse, capturing her fire and competitiveness, much like her portrayal of Glimmer in The Hunger Games. Douglas Smith also made the character of Tyson lovable, with his goofiness; the character proving himself, mostly to Annabeth by the end of the film.
This film is great family entertainment (Logan Lerman attracting the attention of the teenage girls) and one of my favourite aspects of the series is the lessons that they teach children about mythology (though I would suggest reading up on it, as many of the myths and fables are changed to suit the film!) These books actually helped me a lot in my Latin classes, so I would recommend them to anyone!
The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones (2013)
I loved it!
Derived from teenage fiction, this film does more than prove itself, as do the actors that play the characters.
I have now seen this film twice, and have not found myself bored by it at any point. Personally, I love the character of Simon, played by Irish Robert Sheehan. Perhaps I liked this character so much because it was played by him, but that's the whole point anyway, isn't it? His geeky charm is definitely one of the strongest personalities in the film, as well as his undying love for Clary, putting him in favour for some sympathy when he screams, ' I'm the one that's always been there for you, not him. I love you!' This was by far my favourite part of the film, being a sucker for love triangles I did like it when it reached this boiling point. But it never goes too far into the triangle as so many other films do, and you can foresee a relationship between Simon and Isobel from the start.
Whilst I have not read the books yet (I will as soon as possible) my friend whom I watched it with the second time, objected to how different it was. Understandably, when a film adaptation is so different from the original paperback version it can be hard to love the film because of it. However, if you have read the book, you simply need to go into the cinema with an open mind, and think of the book and the film as different things.
The other main characters were portrayed brilliantly by the actors, and there was not one actor or actress that I disliked or thought was just awful.
The music is one thing that people seem to dislike, but I quite enjoyed the Demi Lovato "Heart by Heart" in the garden scene with Jace and Clary. Although the song is quite hard to listen to outside of the film (in my personal opinion it is far too pop-romantic) it fits accordingly with the scene it is played, and I actually enjoyed it, as I did with the "TV Spot: Love" that can be found on youtube as promotional for the film.
Go and watch the film because it's amazing; just go with an open mind, and with your imagination as ready as ever, because many of the concepts require an ability to think outside of "normality". That it one word I would not use to describe the tone of the film.
One Direction: This Is Us (2013)
Great, especially for the fans.
I saw this film today, and didn't have very high expectations. As expected, when we arrived, there was a long winding queue of teenage girls, most a year or two younger than myself.
However, the film itself was good, and the excited teenage girls created a great ambiance (surprisingly). There were many laughs, including the members of the band dressing up in disguises. I think that the factor that will appeal most to people about this film is looking into the on-tour lives of the boys and understanding what it's like to perform to so many people, as well as having the pressure of so many fans supporting them.
The film also shows the troubles of being away from family for so long; and the stresses of being 'famous' as Harry says. He specifically finds it difficult because of how evasive the press can be, and this aspect is also looked at.
Whilst this film is definitely a documentary (don't go expecting lots of action or drama, like my little sister did) it keeps you entertained and for the most part, interested.
An open mind is also required, as so many people decide that they 'hate' the band etc, and with that attitude, you will leave the cinema still feeling that way.
The film portrays the boys as fun loving, normal and genuine, making them very likable and has rekindled my love for the personalities of the band! I would highly recommend the film to anyone that loves or likes the group, unlike the Channel 4 Documentary, which was just awful.
Lo imposible (2012)
A fantastic film experience
The starring actors, Naomi Watts and Ewan McGregor performed brilliantly. However, the young talent Tom Holland, seemed to guide this film with his superb acting. For someone who is only slightly older than myself, I was in complete awe of how well he acted, with his inexperience due to his age. The two VERY young 'brother's' did brilliantly also, and I was crying when they were finally reunited with Lucas.
In contrast to many people's feelings about the timing of the tsunami etc... I believe it was executed perfectly. Already, at fourteen minutes in, the action was already taking place. I've heard a lot of people wish that the family were introduced better, for longer, but I disagree. The brief, but golden introduction to the family let us see how happy they were, and so when the destruction came, it made it all the more heartbreaking; but I feel that the lack of complete immersion into their family life strengthened the idea that this utter horror was happening to so many families when the tsunami of 2004 hit, not just this family in particular. Besides, the storyline of the film built up the 'family bond' even more. As well as this, the tsunami hitting early on in the film regurgitated the idea that this was a sudden occurrence.
The special fx in the film were also astounding. My adrenaline was pumping when the tsunami hit, because the crashing waves just looked so real and terrifying. The extent of the injuries and pain the family went through, Maria in particular, left me in awe. This film was completely full of the brutal honesty and facts that took place. The scene in which Maria is coughing blood left me feeling sick to the bottom of my stomach, but it just added to the experience of being a part of the tsunami aftermath.
All in all, this film is a must see, and the young actor, Tom Holland is one to watch out for! Being my 15 year old self, I think I can quite happily say that's he's not half bad looking as a teenager, and I'll be expecting (*wishing*) to see more of him in the future!
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1 (2011)
50/50
To be honest, I can't see someone who wasn't obsessive over the series for at least two years enjoying this film. I think that the director did a brilliant job considering the specifications he was given. However, I don't think that the essence of this book was properly captured because of the difficult subject of childbirth, sex, and all of the problems that really occurred. This film should definitely been rated a 15 and that would have allowed more leeway for the storyline. I'm 14 and when I went to watch this film I felt a bit awkward that there were eight year olds all around me, watching the fairly explicit sex scenes. Pg-13 was the wrong choice for this film, and the saga was never meant for anyone under about 13, and that should have been made clearer earlier on.
However, after being completely immersed in the saga since the release of the first film, I thought that this was a great delivery of it in the motion picture. I DO BELIEVE that this did actually live up to it's name, and no-one can be blamed for some of he issues. The actors were as good as always, and the fans were I was at LOVED it. It was beautiful, and that is why it's worth a ten. The film was mostly criticised for the moral side of it, and not for the film itself.