Movie Review: Fallen Kingdom unleashes chaos

Wow. It's been forever since I did a post. Well, today I'm reviewing the movie Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Story:

It’s been three years since the Indominus Rex caused Jurassic World to be shut down, and across the world a heated debate rages on about whether or not dinosaurs should be granted the same rights as other endangered species. Claire Dearing, now running a dinosaur rights activist group, is approached by a stranger who offers a sanctuary for the dinosaurs in exchange for help locating Blue, who is the last Velociraptor on the planet. Putting together a team that includes Owen Grady, they return to the island so they can rescue as many dinosaurs as possible before the island blows up. However, all is not as it seems as a sinister plot is put into action that intends on exploiting the dinosaurs for personal gain. 

This movie does a terrific job at setting itself apart from its predecessors. I love the idea of a civil rights group for dinosaurs popping up, and the inclusion of several new species like the Carnotaurus which did appear in Michael Crichton’s second book. It would’ve been easy to make this a standard run-away-from-dinosaurs film, but instead they take what has been established and build up. As the books delve deep into chaos theory, so does this film in showing the consequences of having dinosaurs brought back into a world that is no longer theirs. It was also great to see Jeff Goldblum return as Ian Malcolm, even if it was just for a couple of scenes. This movie, to me, feels like the people took a lot of thought and consideration, and studied the books to get more of the feel and messages of Jurassic Park/World. 

I heard the director was a master of the horror element and that shows. Several times predators are enclosed in shadow, with just enough light at key moments to indicate their presence in the shadows creates a spirit of fear that reminds us several of these animals were apex predators in their time periods, and that just because humans brought them back from extinction doesn’t make them any less dangerous. The eruption of Isla Nublar’s volcano, which the promotional material from the Dinosaur Protection Group website confirmed the name as Mount Sibo, was probably one of the most terrifying moments in the film as it fills you with a sense of being trapped, and near the end led to the saddest scene in the entire film. However, it also brought back an old film trope with dinosaurs as several old dinosaur movies involved a volcano in some form or way. The music also helps with the scenes, evoking a sense of fear around the predators, and sadness for the pain of the animals. 

Overall, I feel this was a well done sequel, and did enjoy the film’s plot overall. I look forward to seeing how they top the events of this film in Jurassic World III. 

Caution:

Mild swearing, including the d-word and the g-word. A character almost says the s-word. The eruption of the volcano may terrify some viewers, and the dinosaurs in peril may sadden others. People shoot each other and adults and children are chased by predators. Dinosaurs are mistreated and abused, and the death of one is heartbreaking. A man has his arm bitten off before he is killed, and several people are killed offscreen. Blood is seen several times.

Lessons:

We have a duty and responsibility to care for our world and the plants and animals that inhabit it. Our actions and choices will have consequences, and we will have to accept them. 

Movie Review: BFG deserves more love

Hi everyone. Wow. It's been a while since I posted anything. Well, I do have a movie review for all of you today, and it's based off my favorite book written by Roald Dahl, The BFG.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Story:
Sophie is an orphan girl living in London who generally spends her time reading and staying up way after she's supposed to be asleep. Because she's up at the Witching Hour, she ends up breaking some rules of what not to do at the time, and ends up seeing something unexpected: a giant. Before she knows it, Sophie is whisked off to Giant Country, and ends up becoming friends with the giant who took her, whom she names the BFG, which stands for Big Friendly Giant. However, he's not the only giant there. There are several larger giants who enjoy nothing more than eating people, especially children. Together, Sophie and the BFG come up with a plan to stop the evil giants and save the world.
I was really surprised with how faithful the film adaptation was to the book, and that made me glad. True, there were a few minor points that were changed up, but it wasn't drastic, and overall the film kept the heart and spirit of the book it came from. The use of CGI really helps drive home the magical feeling of Giant Country, and the friendship felt between Sophie and the BFG is truly cute. It has a good balance between light moments and dark moments, and each one was taken care of. It is definitely a fun family film.
Caution:
A girl has a nightmare of being eaten by a giant. A giant gets hit in the groin. Some mild peril and slapstick humor. Some people drink a beverage that causes them to fart.
Lessons:
Kindness and understanding can overcome boundaries. Just because someone's different from us in appearance or behavior doesn't make them bad or deserving of mockery; it means that they are still people and deserve our love and respect. Never be afraid to stand up for what is right.

Movie Review: Jurassic World brings the franchise back from extinction

Hi everyone. Sorry it's been so long. I'm still trying to get that book read and reviewed. I got back from seeing a movie that I've been waiting all summer to see and I've decided to blog about it. Those of you who know me can tell what it's going to be about, but I'm going to tell you anyway: Jurassic World.

Rating: Five out of five stars

Story:

            It’s been years since the initial disaster of Jurassic Park on Isla Nublar. Now, thanks to Simon Masrani, the park has finally come under control and is a popular attraction for families all over the world. While the brothers Zach and Gray Mitchell have come to Jurassic World to visit their workaholic aunt Claire Dearing, the staff behind the park is keeping an eye on their next attraction: a hybrid dinosaur dubbed the Indominus Rex. What they don’t anticipate is the skills this new species of dinosaur has, which it uses to escape and cause mayhem across the park. With the help of Velociraptor trainer Owen Grady they must stop the Indominus Rex from killing everyone and everything on the island.

            I am a big fan of dinosaurs and have loved all the Jurassic Park films. Each one keeps to the theme that the dinosaurs are animals, not monsters. This one, however, takes it all to the next level while keeping the formula that made the past films great. The majority of the original actors don’t appear, but we do get to see B.D. Wong reprise his role as Dr. Henry Wu, the geneticist who helped create the dinosaurs. Chris Pratt did an excellent job as Owen Wilson, providing humor and the voice of reason to the film. While moving on from the events of the first Jurassic Park films, this movie does contain plenty of Easter Eggs and references to the rest of the franchise. Most people were complaining about how the training of the Veliciraptors took away from the appeal, but that only helps to make them more realistic. Many animals, like lions, tigers, wolves, and bears, can be trained to do certain things and still be a wild animal at heart. Jurassic World takes that concept and incorporates it into one of the most popular dinosaurs of all time, which only became famous thanks to the films. One of the shocking things to me in the film was that we see a female character die for the first time. I had a feeling it was going to happen, and foolishly hoped that it wouldn’t. Still, to see it happen, it shocked me and weighed heavy through the film.

            Anyway, continuing on, we do have to bid good-bye to the Brachiosaurus. However we get to see a dinosaur that was written in Michael Crichton’s original novel but had yet to appear in the films: Apatosaurus. We also see other classic dinosaurs like Parasaurolophus, Triceratops, and Stegosaurus. Dinosaurs like Pachycephalosaurus and Dilophosaurus are discussed and make cameos. I was really excited to see something that used to swim in the oceans finally make an appearance in the films, and it was one of the ocean’s apex predators: the Mosasaurus. The Indominus Rex, due to being a hybrid dinosaur, is quite literally insane. That does correspond to science because hybrid cows that have been created have been reported to be a little crazy. The film also sets up for potential sequels, which I have to say thanks to this film will certainly happen. If you haven’t seen it yet, then you should. It stays loyal to the spirit of the films, and evolves so much to the next level of prehistoric entertainment.

Caution:

            Dinosaurs attack people, and blood is seen plenty of times. A dinosaur attacks several other dinosaurs and kills them. Some Apatosaurs are seen injured and dying. Pteranodons carry off a woman who is eaten. Carnivores fight a hybrid dinosaur. Some mild swearing. A woman takes off her jacket while a man watches in shock.

Lessons:

            Our families can be a source of comfort and love when we are in our darkest moments and need strength. Animals are living, breathing creatures like us and deserve our respect. The only monsters are the ones we create. Just because we can do something doesn’t mean we should. Our actions have consequences, and if we’re not careful others will get hurt.

I realized too late I could've been using this month to blog about dinosaurs before the film was released. I may still do that. If I have time I'll update more and share with you more information about dinosaurs. Until next time, enjoy the film. 

Review: Maleficent is a new classic

Hi everyone. This review is a couple of weeks late, but that's better than never. Some of you have said you haven't seen this yet so I'll try my best to avoid spoilers.

Rating: Five out of Five stars
Story
This film adds on to the tale of Disney's Sleeping Beauty, but with some twists. Maleficent tells the story from the view of the world famous fairy, and we actually get a back story for the Mistress of All Evil. Turns out Maleficent started out good and kind, caring for her home and protecting it from people seeking to exploit it. However a person she thought was her friend betrays her for the riches of the kingdom and, well, to say she becomes bitter about it would be an understatement. This leads to the moment where Walt Disney's sixteenth full-length animated film begins. Maleficent crashes the christening of the princess Aurora and curses her with the curse we all know. However as the years progress a twist of fate leads Maleficent to finding a second chance to find happiness in life.
I really loved the story and I loved the actors who helped with this movie. Angelie Jolie looks and acts like Maleficent as if she walked out of the world of animation into the live-action world. Sharlto Copley gives new life to the king of one of Disney's famous princesses, and he does not hold back. Elle Fanning does a very nice job as Princess Aurora, and I enjoyed seeing Vivienne Jolie-Pitt and Eleanor Worthington-Cox show us younger versions of Aurora. They've got great futures ahead of them as do Ella Purnell and Isobelle Molloy who both acted as Maleficent in her youth. The story does deviate a great deal from Walt Disney's classic, but it actually makes the story better. There was also a lot more humor in here than I expected. However if you want to know what you have to see the film yourself.
Caution
Some of the action scenes may be a little intense for younger audiences. Some of the inhabitants of the fairy kingdom may be scary for little kids.
Lessons
Love is more powerful than hate. We find happiness in loving others instead of hurting them. Love between a parent and a child is one of the purest. Everyone can change who they are.

Movie Review: The Monster King has returned!

Hi everyone. It's time for a new post, and today I'm going to share with you my thoughts on Godzilla.

I'm going to be doing something new with movie reviews today as part of an experiment to try and make these reviews better. I'm going to be not just the story, but the effects and design as well.
Rating: Five out of Five stars
Story
The story seemed to be well paced, though some might find the first hour a bit slow. For me, it wasn't too slow, but it wasn't too fast either. They did a good job of introducing and developing characters in a timely fashion, and the problems arose in a timely manner as well. I also enjoyed how they alluded to the events that led to the creation of the original Godzilla, and used the year 1954 as an allusion to the year that Godzilla was first released.
Effects
As is expected in these days, the effects used were really cool. The use of 3D in the movie helps to bring depth to the fights between the monsters, and the collateral damage done to their surroundings as well. Sometimes it's easy to forget that you're sitting in a theater.
Design
I enjoyed the design given to the cities throughout the movie. The use of shading and darkness gives the message of how bad the evil kaiju in this movie are, while things seem to light up on Godzilla. Speaking of which Godzilla was really well designed in this movie. It's easy to see the homage to the original style of design for the creature, while still giving him some minor modifications. The other kaiju were also well done. Their movements seem to be a bit of a homage to the puppetry that some old monsters had done on them while they still moved about and behaved in a way that seemed natural.
I loved this movie and thought it was well done. This is Godzilla. I would highly recommend seeing this movie in theaters if you're interested in old fashioned monsters, or just want to see some really cool action.

Review: Captain America: The Winter Soldier is better than the first!

Hi everyone. I finally got to see Captain America: The Winter Soldier last night. I know by now a lot of you will have seen it, but these are still my thoughts.

The story revolves around Steve Rogers/Captain America working on adjusting to life in the twenty-first century. Difficulty arises when he starts to sense things are not picture perfect in S.H.I.E.L.D. Soon a mysterious assassin known as The Winter Soldier appears and a deadly enemy is threatening the world and its people. Steve will have to work with old and new friends to save not only America, but the world.
I loved how in the movie they made parallels with modern day politics and problems. It was good to see characters of fiction struggling with problems we're facing in the real world. I also liked how they incorporated hidden areas being associated with big secrets. The action also looked real and the characters, good and bad, were very believable.
Content advisory: Lots of explosions and shooting. A character's arm is broken. Several characters swear, though it's not very heavy most of the film. Some characters drink alcohol.
Lessons: Sometimes we must be willing to stand up for what is right even when others don't agree. Don't try to solve all problems by yourself. Find friends who will be true no matter what. Never give up on those you care about. If people in power are not protecting the rights of the people, it is the people's responsibility to take a stand.

Films I'd like to see for 2014

Hi. I finally get around to doing this post. I'm not going to go into detail as to why I want to see each movie. However I will give a short little reason as to why I'm considering seeing each movie. Oh, and the order will be in order that they will be released.

This looks like it's going to be funny.

I'm interested in seeing how they do this movie.

Bringing back an old cartoon, and it looks like they're having fun with history.

The account of Noah's Ark was one of my favorite events from the Bible, and still is up there on my list.

I'm interested in seeing how Captain America adjusts to life in the 21st century.

I've been impressed with some animated sequels that have been released in the not so far past and feel like nowadays animated sequels are being done better than they have been.

I like Spider-Man and I think this looks like it's going to be electrifying. Pun intended there.

I like the stories of Oz and this looks like it'll be a cool adaptation of the book Dorothy of Oz.

I'm a fan of the Godzilla movies and it really feels like they're trying to do a better job with this remake.

I'm interested in seeing what backstory they give to one of the most popular Disney villains ever.

Action-packed trailers with plenty of humor plus interesting new dragons. Also because I really enjoyed the first film, the shorts, and the TV show.

Everything seems to suggest the Dinobots will make an appearance, and I loved the Dinobots growing up. Still do in fact.

Haven't heard of this before, and I'm interested in seeing who they are.
It appears that right now I've run out of posters to post so I may have to list them for now.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
I grew up watching the classic cartoon.
The Maze Runner
It's based off the book by James Dashner, who also wrote the series The 13th Reality. I need to be sure to read this book before I see the movie.
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
I remember the book as a kid and so don't want to pass this by.

Here are the posters/logos again. I read that this is Disney's first animated adaptation of a Marvel Comic, and it's supposed to take place in a city that combines Eastern and Western Culture. That'll be interesting to see.
Home
Just found out about this. Another upcoming film from DreamWorks, and their films have definitely been good.
Exodus
Another film based off the Bible? Is this year a Biblical film year or something? Still, it's a retelling of another one of my favorite Biblical accounts (Moses) and I'd like to see what they do.

This one I also just found out about. I read these books too and believe it'll be a fun movie to see.

Close as I can get. There and Back Again is definitely going to be epic due to how the last two were epic. Definitely going to be interesting to see how they conclude this trilogy.
Night at the Museum 3
Yes, there's going to be another one. Don't know much about it yet, but it'll be interesting to see who from history they use this time.
Into the Woods
I only found out about this film not too long ago. It's supposed to be based off a play that uses different elements and characters from fairy tales. It'll be interesting to see.
Well that's it for now. There may be some I may have to give a miss depending on what the rating is. Like I said before, I will not see an R-rated film. For now we'll just have to wait and see.

Review of The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug

Yesterday I was going to try and do a blog post on one of my favorite Christmas stories. However I never got around to it. This post may be more to your liking because I saw another of the movies I wanted to see this year. Today I'm reviewing The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug!

I think many of you will be familiar with the story of The Hobbit, but the story in this film if you weren't clued in by its predecessor defers from the book. As I said on Twitter I daresay this is better than the book. We get to see more of other parts of Middle-Earth that were mentioned briefly in the book like Gandalf going to Dol Guldur to face the Necromancer. However there were also changes to the story that were in the book. However I will not say how so I don't ruin anything for you. I don't consider the Gandalf sentence ruining it because if you read the book you know that was mentioned, and you can tell he does that if you've seen the trailers.

The settings in this film are pretty amazing. I'd rather not say anything because I don't want to ruin anything for you. However I will say that getting lost in Mirkwood, according to the movie, is easier done than said. I know that seems odd to say, but when you see the movie you'll understand. I also enjoyed how they portrayed the Lonely Mountain and Erebor. If you have read your fantasy you know that dwarves are supposed to be expert builders. The mountain certainly goes above and beyond that expectation. However it also captures the feel of the emptiness and loneliness that I believe they were trying to give the dwarves.

I also enjoyed the styles they gave the different areas in the movie. Lake Town seemed like a place that one would expect to find in a people living under the hands (or wings) of a dragon: desperate. The people are clearly a shadow of the people of Dale and have had some attempt to reclaim that glory. However due to the few resources they have that is not entirely possible. The elves of Mirkwood forest also have a pretty cool design about them. If someone wanted to use a look that seemed both regal and wild about someone at the same time Peter Jackson and his design team accomplished it. The wood elves are dressed finely yet they are also capable of quick travel through the trees. Very nicely done.

All in all I really enjoyed this movie. I'm sorry if I seemed a little vague, but I didn't want to ruin the movie for anyone who has not seen it. If you haven't seen it and want to I would definitely recommend it.

Review of Frozen

Hi. Sorry this is so late. I kept getting distracted all day, and I also was eager to finish up Beyonders: Chasing the Prophecy. But enough of my excuses! You want to read a review I promised last night, so here it is.

Frozen is the next Disney animated film based off Hans Christian Anderson's classic tale of The Snow Queen. The story to me seems like a story that takes place before the events of the fairy tale we all know. It features Anna, one of the princesses of the kingdom of Arendelle, is excited because the castle is finally being opened in celebration of the coronation of her older sister Elsa. However following a little argument the two sisters have during the celebration Elsa reveals a secret she had been hiding for years: She has power over winter. Turns out Elsa hurt Anna during their childhood and had been fearing that she might hurt her again. Fear takes hold of Elsa, who is the Snow Queen if you haven't connected the dots yet, and she flees the kingdom. Anna goes off in search of Elsa firmly believing she can stop the winter she unintentionally brings upon the land. Along the way she makes several friends and learns many important lessons, including that love truly is one of the most powerful forces in existence.
I'll try to talk about some of the concepts of the film that I enjoyed without revealing any spoilers. I enjoyed how they gave a Norwegian feel to the setting of the film and its inhabitants. It serves to put everyone in a pretty far north locality which as we remember from the classic story was where the Snow Queen resided. The mountains definitely looked like they were cut by glaciers long ago and the architecture is definitely similar to what you would find in that area if you were able to take a tour. They even added some elements of the mythology of the area. I think I should stop there so I don't give away anything that might be fun.
Now let's talk a little about the characters. I still view this film as a good back story for the Snow Queen. We don't really have a clear understanding of who she is in the original tale and a lot has been left up to speculation. This may not be what Hans Christian Anderson would've gone for, but I think it does do the story justice because now, in Disney's version at least, she won't be written off as some evil sorceress as a result of what she did. Anna is also a very fun person because she's so innocent and understanding (and a little clumsy). She has the traditional feel of the Disney Princesses while still maintaining her individuality. Also she has plenty of moments in the movie where she isn't just standing around naively. She takes action and helps make some of the most important decisions. Kristoff was also a good friend in this tale. He may appear rugged and rough on the outside, but his mountain expertise and outdoor skills help out more than once and we see he does have a kind heart. Of course one person I can't leave without talking about is Olaf the snowman. He is truly a great Disney sidekick, not only because of his humor, which makes up some of the best moments in the film, but because he is also warm and loving despite being made of snow.
The animation for this film was pretty incredible. They were able to pull off some incredible feats with the ice and snow that I doubt would've been as good had they done this traditionally animated. I'm not saying traditional animation is bad because I've grown up with it and I still love it. I'm just saying a lot of the feel would've been really difficult to capture. In some moments you can still see some of the grooves in the ice and the individual snowflakes being caste up or blown in the wind would've been hard to do without the use of computers. There were plenty of moments where the light reflecting off the snow and ice really did a good job of capturing the emotions of the moment, from fear and anger to love and happiness.
The music and sound within this movie was also pretty cool. At times the music was just like traditional Norwegian melodies while other times the people at Disney were just doing their thing. Yes there are some pretty good songs in this movies which do help to establish more of the personalities of some of the characters. The wind blowing in this movie sound incredibly realistic, almost like they recorded actual winter winds. There's also plenty of convincing ice cracklings, freezings, and snow crunching throughout the movie.
While the movie isn't a one-hundred percent adaptation of the fairy tale there are still elements from the story in this movie. One thing I recognized a reference to was the splinter of ice that infected Kay's heart. I'm not saying Kay's in this movie. For all we know this could take place a while before Kay and Gerda come on the scene. However if you are familiar with the original story you'll know what I'm talking about. There are other moments when people do need to ride on Sven the reindeer, which I'm reminded of as something Gerda did in the original story. I'm glad they chose to include those references in this adaptation.
One thing I do want to talk about is the lessons we can walk away from this film with. Yes love is a big feature, but Disney breaks a lot of the cliches here. One of the biggest topics early on for Kristoff and Anna is about true love. Kristoff is saying that marrying a person you just met isn't a good idea, especially if you know next-to-nothing about them, while Anna firmly believes that you just know when you meet someone. I just realized one lesson that I didn't notice last night was to not judge others by appearances. Anyway, the biggest lesson, and one that I liked most was that they shared a lesson that love isn't just the attraction between a man and a woman shared with a short dance and brief kiss. Some of the characters explain that love is also helping others even when it's not convenient for us and giving up our wants for the needs of others.
All in all I have to say this was a well done story. I've been thinking for a while now that maybe film adaptations would be better off creating new stories set within the universe established within a book or a classic tale, and now we have another film as evidence of that. I hope I didn't bore you out with this review. I wanted to do a good job with actually analyzing it.

Movies expanding universes?

This is about something that has been on my mind for a while. I've been thinking with book to film adaptations that maybe it would be better if they took a different approach. They just adapt the same story of the books and only give audiences what has already been done. I've been thinking maybe rather than adapt the same story it would probably be better to use films to create new stories for the worlds established in books. These last few months I have seen some movies that did just that. Here are a few examples.

These books give the back stories of some of the legends we've grown up with from our childhood, like the Tooth Fairy and Santa Claus. However the time came when a movie was adapted from these books. This was the result:

It is definitely something to sit down and watch. This film didn't try to adapt the stories of all the books into one. Instead the film's plot takes place after the books have occurred, in the present day. I will spare you the details of what happens in the movie so if you still haven't seen it nothing gets ruined. I did some research and found out the author was involved in the making of this movie, and he was trying to make it a new story. I say he did a good job.

This book, also by the author of The Guardians of Childhood, is one I haven't been able to look into yet. However this book was also adapted into a great movie. In case you're wondering which one, here it is:

I would definitely recommend seeing this movie if you haven't already. From what I was able to find out online the book had a different story from the film, yet from what I found out it almost seems like the Leaf Men were still living out their lives when the events of the film unfold. Both Epic and Rise of the Guardians were well received, financially and critically. There's just one more movie I'd like to mention:

This movie is supposed to be the backstory of the all famous Wizard of Oz. From what I've heard it uses several elements mentioned in the books yet it still seems to be an original story expanding a well-established universe. I plan to see this film this weekend so I'll let you go now so you can work on whatever it is you plan to do. Thank you for your time.

Standards for film

So I don't keep you waiting for long periods of time I decided to post something else. This was a paper I did for my film class explaining my standards regarding movies. These reflect my personal thoughts and opinions regarding cinema. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. I got a really good grade on this paper so I hope you enjoy as well:

One of the things I love to do is to view movies. I enjoy good stories in all formats and I try to find those that match certain criteria I have. One of the biggest decision makers I have is that I will not watch a movie that is rated R. My reason for so doing is that my parents have taught me that R rated movies do not conform to our standards. Reading the reasons why they receive that rating will also usually tell me that I will not enjoy it. If a movie has people hooking up I will try to avoid it because I do not like filling my head with images that I know are against my religious beliefs and I don’t want what I see to form my opinion on how I treat my fellow men. Earlier this summer I went to see The Lone Ranger with my dad and youngest brother. However there was one scene that had a really disturbing moment that could be taken as violent. I have seen some movies with violence in them. However I think that how something is portrayed and why will be a big decision factor in me deciding if I like a movie or not. For example even though the Lord of the Rings films have a lot of violence in them I think they portray war as something very dark and evil and not something to be celebrated. Same with the film Thor where at first he wants to launch a war only to have his opinion change at the end of the film because he learns that war isn’t something to be desired. Something that I like to do more with films is to try and see if they can be used to teach life lessons like honesty, virtue, courage, and faith. I also enjoy seeing movies that are fantasy stories or have dinosaurs in them because those are some of my biggest interests.

            This summer I went with my brothers to see Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters. It was based off the second book of a series that I had enjoyed reading. Even though I had been furious with the first film adaptation I opted to go see this movie because it sounded like they were trying to correct some of the errors of the first film. I was furious because of how different The Lightning Thief was from the book. However recently I did a blog post asking if movie adaptations should be the same as the books. That was pretty much the only film my brothers expressed interest in seeing because the other options I was considering were Turbo and The Smurfs 2. I had seen some of the trailers for the film and I was a little nervous about some of the things they showed like the encountering of Kronos and falling into the mouth of Charybdis. However I decided a long time ago that I wouldn’t judge movies without giving them a chance. The only exceptions are R-rated films and some PG-13 movies because I don’t like seeing material I know goes against my religious beliefs.

            Apart from being based off a book I liked I also saw it because it has strong fantasy elements due to the series being inspired by Greek Mythology. For some time now I’ve been interested in the fantasy worlds of strange creatures and mystical forces that seem to define worlds separated from our own, or in the case of this film hidden within our own. Some elements from the book were taken out yet they managed to portray some of the creatures from the book in a very interesting way. The hippocampus was designed to have the head of a horse and the body of a fish and instead of the front legs of a horse it was given fins instead. Although it would’ve been nice if they stayed true to how the book described the creature a movie isn’t supposed to be the book. It’s an adaptation and one should expect differences between the two.

            I did see several moral lessons contained within the film. One of the biggest issues that the main character, Percy Jackson, had to deal with was his confidence. Even though in the last movie he stopped a war between the gods it seems that not everyone has that event memorized. The head of Camp Half-Blood, Dionysus, seems to disregard Percy and views him as only good for cleaning up the training ground. When a hero is being chosen to go on a quest for the Golden Fleece, Percy is overlooked and the camp’s superstar, Clarissa La Rue, is handed the mantle.  Percy throughout the film gets the feeling that his father, Poseidon, doesn’t care because when Percy tries asking him for help his pleas seem to go unanswered while his Cyclops half-brother Tyson gets his request answered. Eventually Percy shows us that we don’t have to just sit around and wait for things to get better. We need to do things to make our situations better.

            There was also another lesson that could be learned on forgiveness. Percy’s love interest, Annabeth Chase, has a hard time connecting with Tyson because he’s a Cyclops. While one could argue that was being racist it was because in Annabeth’s past a friend of hers was killed by a Cyclops. I generally dislike it in stories, whether they be books, films, or TV shows, where the character chooses to hold on to a grudge because to me that sends a message that people should hold on to grudges and not forgive others. However when a person forgives in fiction I feel better because it shows they are willing to let the past go and not hold another person accountable. In the film Tyson seemingly sacrifices himself to save Percy that causes Annabeth to realize that Tyson was not a monster as she perceived him to be. She learns to forgive him.

            For a long time I had the idea that film adaptations should stay one-hundred percent true to the books. When I learned that Disney changed the name of a film from Rapunzel to Tangled I was furious and felt like it was going to be a horrible movie. After a while I realized that I had gone against a saying and judged a book by its cover, or in this case a movie by its title. After that I decided to give Tangled a chance and walked away loving the movie. I did a blog post not too long ago about movie adaptations of books and if they should stay the same. I think that we should keep in mind that there may come a time where a story may have to change and adapt for a new generation. If it doesn’t it may not survive. Besides is there only one right way to tell a story? If you answer yes to that then many films that have been huge successes should be hated because of how different they were from the original stories.

            I generally try to avoid movies based off of Greek mythology because my readings about those old tales are loaded with “hook-ups” as the film adaptation of The Lightning Thief put it. Even though that was part of the mythology I don’t believe that it gives us the right to show or make those kinds of movies. Still because I’ve read the books I know that is not going to be the focus of the films. They don’t go beyond the characters saying that one of their parents is a god or goddess. So far I’ve been right. My only hope is that they’ll continue to hold true to that. I was also surprised at the lessons I saw could be learned from this film. I wasn’t expecting to see so much in the story. I was wondering after I came out of the theater why I wasn’t feeling outrage like I did with the first film. I would say it was because I wasn’t expecting the movie to be a strict adaptation of the book. True I wish some of the things done in the film were closer to the book yet I did not focus on those details. I still found the story to be very enjoyable and having a strong foundation in the plot of the book. I will try to keep an open mind about films and not judge a movie by its title.

            I think maybe one way I can do that is to think about why certain things are done or why they show certain events. For example I mentioned earlier that The Lord of the Rings films show war as a horrible event. I also remembered The Avengers also had that message about war, and I also saw lessons on the dangers of pride and jealousy through the antics of Loki. I think if a film advocates something I know is wrong I won’t enjoy it or watch it. However if it has a representation of what I know is right I may enjoy it. It will vary because I think the movie Avatar shows war as a horrible thing yet I still did not like the movie because I didn’t like how the Na’vi were portrayed. I do not believe that we have the right to show primitive people with really scanty attire. I just do not feel comfortable with that. True the reason could be that they’re down to earth and don’t know any better. However I still feel that it’s not right for anyone to create a race like that. True the mermaids are portrayed in a similar fashion in The Little Mermaid yet I still feel it’s an okay film to see because the original story was a Christian tale. I guess in the end it’s up to me to decide if a film fits my standards or not. 

Heads up! Great stuff today

Alright everyone, I wanted to let you know that today I got done with the outline for the short story. Which means that in the near future this blog will be featuring the first short story from the world of Dymos! Who here is excited? I'm looking forward to it.
Schooling's been going okay. I did drop one class and added another to complete a core requirement. I did want to take the class I wanted. However I felt like I was going to be struggling a lot. I was taking a class on the Ancient Near East to try to do some research in trying to develop a culture for a part of Dymos. Last week while I was looking through the scriptures a thought was pressing down on me that I needed to take something else. I met with counselors to look at other majors in case I wouldn't be able to go with plan A, and I also looked at core requirement classes I could take instead.
The class I went with was Introduction to Film. I enjoyed what I experienced today. We got to see some of the old original black and white silent films, from shorts lasting only fifteen seconds to what is generally regarded as the first Western The Great Train Robbery. Seeing how films were done like that was amusing. However I'm glad that people kept working at developing this discovery and now we can create astonishing worlds in movies and make it so that what you see on screen is coming out towards you. Probably not the best if it's some ravenous rabid monster. Kidding. I've never experience that thankfully. One interesting thing that I learned was that what is considered by all technicality the first film was something used to win an argument about horses leaping.
Well that seems to be enough for tonight. I'll try to make sure I get a post in tomorrow. Be sure to keep an eye out for when the first short story comes about, and please let anyone and everyone you know who likes fantasy, prehistory, or Dymos be aware as well.

Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters review

Sea of Monsters. What exactly does that bring to your mind?

Seas infested with sea reptiles?

Krakens attacking ships?

Sea Serpents on the rampage? 

Well not exactly in this film. In this film adaptation of the second book of the Percy Jackson series Percy and his friends at Camp Half-Blood find themselves in a dire situation. The tree which gives Camp Half-Blood its protection has been poisoned and monsters are starting to invade the camp. The only thing that can reverse the poisoning is the legendary Golden Fleece which is located in the Sea of Monsters, which in the series is the ocean where heroes like Jason and Odysseus sailed during their quests. It has moved west like Olympus and the Underworld and is located in the part of the ocean we like to call the Bermuda Triangle. So that's why stuff gets lost in that ocean. They're eaten by monsters. Anyway Clarisse La Rue, daughter of Ares, is given the task of going to retrieve the fleece. Percy and his friends, however, decide to go along. Along the way they encounter many monsters of the myths and learn important lessons of trust, friendship, forgiveness, and of choosing our course in life. 

I think this film teaches a good lesson on believing in ourselves. Percy in this film is starting to doubt himself and wondering if he's really good enough. He's starting to attribute his success to luck. However as the film progresses he uses his skills to help his friends survive the dangers of the Sea of Monsters. Annabeth's past comes to life as they encounter Tyson who is the half-brother of Percy. She holds a grudge against Cyclopes because they took the life of a friend of hers years ago. Throughout the film her dislike for Tyson's race is evident. However eventually she learns to not hold Tyson accountable for the actions of others. Probably one of the biggest lessons in the film is that our paths are not set in stone. We can choose our destinies in life.

Admittedly I was furious with the first film. I didn't like how they went a different course from the books. However as I saw this movie I was calmer and I enjoyed it. They did work a little harder to be closer to the book this time than before. There were still plenty of differences from the book. For example they didn't encounter Circe, though she was mentioned. True I wish that the films have stuck closer to the books. However I don't think that I should condemn this movie because of how different from the book it was. If you insist that film adaptations have to be a hundred-percent the same as the book then you might not like this film. However if you want a good adventure to enjoy you might want to set sail on this quest.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Thoughts on Tales from Earthsea

Sorry about the lack of blogging, but I was waiting for an event to happen that never did. To make up for it, I decided to do something different and blog about a movie I recently saw. That movie is Studio Ghibli's Tales from Earthsea.The first film to be directed by Goyo Miyazaki, the son of Hayao Miyazaki, the film is loosely based on the Earthsea books by Ursula K. Le Guin. In the film, something wrong is going on in Earthsea. Magic is disappearing and dragons have been spotted fighting each other. The wizard Sparrowhawk sets out to find out what is going on. Along the way, he encounters the prince Arren, who is running from something dark. The two of them travel together to right the wrong that is happening in Earthsea and learn the importance of accepting the fate that all life must experience.
The Earthsea books have been loved by fans of Narnia and Middle-Earth alike, and Studio Ghibli has had a history of presenting memorable films. However, the film disappointed people all over the world. The film took many ideas and elements out of each book in the series and tried to merge them into one new story. The result wasn't accepted. The film got the "Worst Film" award in Japan, and Goyo was given the "Worst Director" award. The author, who's a big fan of Studio Ghibli, was disappointed with the results. She said that "It's not my book. It's your movie."
The movie did have some good points though. The film had music that made the world seem magical, and the landscape is unlike what you usually see in an epic fantasy film. The dragons were designed in an interesting way. They were given serpentine bodies that still kept the modern look of dragons, a creature of incredible power and strength. My overall opinion of Tales from Earthsea is that if you haven't read the books, you'll like the movie, but if you've enjoyed the series, maybe you should stick with the books.

The President of Walden Media

This is a couple of days late, but better late than never. I was really excited about this Tuesday because speaking at the forum was Micheal Flaherty, president and co-founder of Walden Media! The film company has made some great movies, and here are some of my favorites:





















The Chronicles of Narnia series
Journey to the Center of the EarthThe Water Horse: Legend of the Deep
These are just a few of the movies Walden Media made that I liked. I really enjoyed seeing the founder come to BYU to speak to us. I thought his talk was really helpful. Micheal said that he's been reading books when he was young, and when he got his first library card, his mom told him "As long as you have that card, you will always have a friend." That sounds like something people who love books should know.
He also spoke about something that made me think. Originally Micheal said that he wanted to be a lawyer, but none of the law schools would accept him. He was a little disappointed and wondered what he's going to do with his life now. I'm kind of in the same boat because I couldn't get the grade I needed to continue with my goal. I'm just going to have to try again at a later time.
One thing I thought was really cool was that he started Walden Media as a way to share stories that make you think "how would I react in this situation?" He got some of his old college friends, and some of his old roommates together and told them he wanted to start a company. He got a book on starting a business (which I think was Business Starting for Dummies). Once he had the finances and was ready to start, he asked his mom what stories she thought he should turn into movies. She sent him a reading list that had books like Charlotte's Web, Bridge to Terabithia, and The Chronicles of Narnia.
At the end of the forum, during the Question and Answer session, I asked him this question: Have there been any stories or books you wanted to make into a movie, but haven't been able to get the green light for? His answer was yes. He wanted to do movies on Martin Luther King Jr. and Abraham Lincoln, but hasn't been able to yet. One of the stories Micheal wanted to do a movie of was Ferdinand the Bull, but that's gone to another studio. I hope that someday he'll be able to do those projects.
At the end of the Questions and Answers session, I went up to him and introduced myself. I gave him a copy of my book and he said he looks forward to reading it. I also gave him a list of books that I thought would make good films, and he liked some of the ideas. I hope some of them will be made into films by Walden Media. One thing is for certain: We can expect Walden Media to bring great stories to the big screen.