Category Archives: movie review

Looper (on how time travel will scramble your brain)

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First, I’ve decided my husband needs a new name on the blog other than “the hubs,” so he’ll heretofore be known as Snoop Robby Rob. Ok, with that important piece of business out of the way, Snoop Robby Rob and I watched Looper this weekend. Have you seen Looper? Do you like Looper? It’s that movie where Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s face is kind of messed up looking but you realize it’s because he’s supposed to look like a young Bruce Willis who is, incidentally, very old looking.

looper

Right. Here’s the thrust of it:

In Looper, time travel is invented 30 years in the future and, though immediately outlawed, is used by criminal organizations to send those they want killed into the past where they are killed by “loopers”, assassins paid with silver bars strapped to their targets. Joe, a looper, encounters himself when his older self is sent back in time to be killed.

Fair warning: mild spoiler alerts ahead where I rant about a movie that I actually do kind of like:

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Movie Review: The Dark Knight

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I know what you’re thinking and you are right. It is not Saturday. So why am I doing a movie review?

Well, at the rate I’m reading (about 3 novels a week), I have no time to review any movies. So, think of it as bonus material.

Plus, since a lot of people seem to find my site by looking up what books and movies are appropriate for young adults (since I write YA), I wanted to say a little something about the new Batman movie.

IT IS SCARY!!!!

Like wet my pants, cover-my-ears-and-eyes-simultaneously scary. If the Joker put a knife in someone’s mouth one more time I swear I was going to run out of the theater screaming. I just couldn’t watch parts of it!

I say this because I know there are a lot of preteen boys who just *have* to see The Dark Knight, just like they *have* to see the coolest horror flick that’s out at the time. And while it’s fun with their friends, they come back scared out of their minds. Be warned, moms, there may be nightmares following Batman.

Yes, the acting is brilliant. Yes, the movie looks really cool, but it is violent and it is frightening.

It is also long. There were about 3 logical ending points for the movie before we reached the real end. It wasn’t boring or anything, but I was kind of like, “Aren’t we done already?” after each turn. So if you go, be ready to sit for awhile.

 

And don’t bring young kids. You’ll thank me. This isn’t Spiderman or The Hulk or even Batman Returns. This is a whole ‘nother ballgame.

 

For Jay Solomon’s review of the Dark Knight click here.

Status: Just received my review copy of Heather Terrell’s The Map Thief, which will be released July 29 by Ballantine. I’ll be reviewing it August 2 or possibly a little earlier and will be giving away at least one shiny, new hardback edition of The Map Thief to a lucky blog reader!

Movie Review: Get Smart–Good, Clean Fun

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So, I know Get Smart didn’t get great reviews, but, I have to say, I thought it was really funny! If you’re looking for a break from the disappointments that have been the past few Will Ferrell movies, then the newest Steve Carrell movie might be just the ticket.

 

Moreover, the humor is pretty clean the whole way through. Everyone in the theater was laughing out loud. Nate was literally laughing so hard that he was crying at several points and, yet, there were no strings of F-words needed or Super Bad-esque sex monologues required. Refreshing.

 

Sure, the movie is silly and has quite a bit of slapstick humor, but I really don’t see how people could not like it. Bear in mind that I have not seen the original sitcom, so, of course, that could have a huge bearing on my opinion.

Anyway, if you’re looking for a fun day at the theater, Get Smart is humor that neither you nor your kids will have to strain to enjoy.

Movie Review: Prince Caspian

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I know this review is hitting the scene a bit late, but I’m reading C.S. Lewis’s The Four Loves right now and felt inspired to talk about Prince Caspian. For those that don’t know, The Four Loves is one of C/S/Lewis’s many books on theology and deals with afffection, friendship, erotic love, and the love of God. It is very interesting and also very over my head.

 

Back to the movie:

I loved it and thought it far better than Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe for several reasons. First, it was much darker. The movie was, no doubt, much more violent and, while I’m not usually one for violent movies, I think that in this case it was necessary. Peter had to make adult decisions, adult mistakes, and deal with consequences that were irreversible. There were points in the movie where I was genuinely disappointed in the main characters to the extent that I felt personally wronged.

 

But, what really got me about this movie were the religious messages. I’ve always found C.S. Lewis to be more spiritual than religious (though Christian for sure) and Prince Caspian showcased his deep spiritual understanding better than the first film because the morals were both more subtle and nuanced. I appreciated the alternate telling of Christ’s crucifixion in Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe, but the every day usefulness of the messages in Prince Caspian felt more relevant to me in my life now.

 

Whether you see it for the religious undertones or for sheer entertainment, I don’t think Prince Caspian will disappointment. At the very least, it’s a fun trip to the theater for the whole family (except little-little ones because it was kinda scary!)

 

 

Status: Still need to do a few pages for Ben. I emailed him today and he said he should have some rough drafts for me in a few days, so I’m really excited. I think one thing that is cool about creating a graphic novel is that no matter what happens–whether it gets accepted or not–you have something that looks finished and flashy unlike a huge stack of word processed paper when you finish a novel. Also, collaborating is fun.