To The Movies: Rodrick Rules (Diary of a Wimpy Kid #2)

When a storyline from a book is turned into a movie, the movie becomes its own text. The basic storyline may be the same, but when changes are made in order to fit the movie within a time limit or to highlight an element or theme that the people involved in the movie feels is important—they make the story their own. I will focus these features on movies made based on books I have read—I want to look beyond whether I think the movie is better or worse than the book. I want to appreciate and review the movie as a companion to the book.
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Genre: Comedy, Family
Actors: Zachary Gordon, Devon Bostick, and Robert Capron
Director: David Bowers
Scriptwriter: Gabe Sachs, Jeff Judah, and Jeff Kinney
Date DVD Released: June 21, 2011
MPAA Rating: PG
Movie Info: IMDB | Website
Order Online: Amazon.com
Rating: 3 stars
Borrowed movie from the library. 

In A Nutshell:
Overall, I felt this movie was much more laugh-out-funny than the first which made it much more enjoyable for everyone in my family.  The message of the importance of family was clear but not so overdone that it distracted from the overall fun of the movie.  I may not rush out to watch this movie again, but I would not avoid it either.

Review:
I appreciated that the movie changed the overall focus slightly by using two different family outings to frame the story.  In the beginning, the family is going to the roller skating rink together.  In the ending, the family is going to the talent show together.  This framing made it clear that the emphasis was the family.

However since this thematic focus was different from the previous movie, I felt this movies lacked continuity from the first to the second.  For instance, where was Angie Steadman?  For a character who had been a major force in Greg's story in the first movie, I am not sure I saw her even one time in the second movie.  Which made me question why the movie creators had made her such a prominent part of the first movie if they had not intended to continue that?

My favorite scene taken from the book into the movie had to be the party--more specifically the bathroom door.  The entire sequence from when Greg and Rodrick changed the door out, to when the father tried to lock the door, to when the mother told Rodrick that sometimes the time she locks herself in the bathroom is the only privacy she has all day (and thus she knows there was a lock on that door) left me laughing out loud.  Those moments alone made the movie as a whole worth watching.    

The moment that absolutely broke my heart was when Rodrick told Greg he may be his brother but he would never be his friend after Rodrick found out that their mother knew about the party.  After all the time they had spent together and Rodrick's tutoring Greg on the fine art of getting away with doing as little as possible (the philosophy that Rodrick lived his life by), I was crushed.  And I felt that that emotion came through so much stronger and more effectively in the movie than it had in the book.

Recommendations:
The next movie coming out is Dog Days (Diary of a Wimpy Kid #3) which comes out in August 2012.  But the Dog Days books is the fourth in the series, so I need to read the next couple of books before August:

To The Movies: Fellowship of the Rings

When a storyline from a book is turned into a movie, the movie becomes its own text. The basic storyline may be the same, but when changes are made in order to fit the movie within a time limit or to highlight an element or theme that the people involved in the movie feels is important—they make the story their own. I will focus these features on movies made based on books I have read—I want to look beyond whether I think the movie is better or worse than the book. I want to appreciate and review the movie as a companion to the book.

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Genre: Action & Adventure, Fantasy
Actors: Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, and Orlando Bloom
Director: Peter Jackson
Scriptwriter: Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens, and Peter Jackson
Date DVD Released: August 6, 2002
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Movie Info: IMDB
Order Online: Amazon.com
Rating: 4 Stars
Borrowed the movie from the library. 

In A Nutshell:
Even though I loved the entire trilogy--I have found that I appreciated this one so much more after I have read the book.  The details came together so much clearer after having exposure to the richness of the details, the back stories, and the language of the book. 

Review:
I still remember going to the movie theater the week this movie came out.  I sat there staring up at the screen in amazement at the beautiful scenes, the enchanting characters, and the compelling storyline coming to life before my eyes.  And then I saw Orlando Bloom--with blonde hair and elf ears--and I was in for the whole series.

But now that I have read the book, I can definitely see what all the fuss was about when these movies were released.  The book, the back stories, the magic make the effects of the movie stronger and more compelling.  I just wish it was in the theaters now--so I could have appreciate the big screen effects even more.

There are some major elements from the book that are omitted from the movie--the Tom Bombadil storyline jumps out at me in particular.  But since that was the part of the book I really struggled with every time I have tried to read it, I did not find the omission took away from the experience for me.  But I have heard others criticize that this omission was substantial in their eyes.  I also do not remember Arwen playing nearly as large a role in the book, but I get the impression from things I have read that she does play a larger role in the later books.  So I was not as concerned to see her increased role in this movie.

The movie did end in a different place than the book ended, which may have stood out for me more because I have only read The Fellowship of the Ring. But I strongly suspect that this movie's ending overlaps with the beginning of the next book.  And I think I like the choice because I feel like it ties the two movies together very nicely.  Well maybe nicely is not the right word--because what happens is really horrible (but I will not spoil it for all of you who have not read the book or seen the move yet).

Is there anyone who has not read the book or seen the movie yet?  Am I the last person to read this book?

Recommendations:
I cannot wait to read the next book so I can watch the next movie with new eyes:

To The Movies: Diary of a Wimpy Kid

When a storyline from a book is turned into a movie, the movie becomes its own text. The basic storyline may be the same, but when changes are made in order to fit the movie within a time limit or to highlight an element or theme that the people involved in the movie feels is important—they make the story their own. I will focus these features on movies made based on books I have read—I want to look beyond whether I think the movie is better or worse than the book. I want to appreciate and review the movie as a companion to the book.
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Genre: Family, Comedy
Actors: Zachary Gordon, Robert Capron and Rachael Harris
Director: Thor Freudenthal
Scriptwriter: Jackie Filgo, Jeff Filgo, Gabe Sachs & Jeff Judah
Date DVD Released: August 3, 2010
MPAA Rating: PG
Movie Info: IMDB | Website
Order Online: Amazon.com
Rating: 2 stars
Borrowed from library.

In A Nutshell:
I am glad I watched the movie, but I am equally glad I borrowed it rather than buying it.  There were parts I really liked a lot, but overall I was not impressed.  I do not think I would watch the movie again. 

Review:
The opening sequence where Rodrick wakes Greg up at 4am, convinces Greg that he is late for school, and then goes back to bed and falls asleep so that it looks like Greg made it all up--that sequence left me in stitches.  When the father comes down with the plastic hockey stick to ward off the intruder--it's classic!  I was grinning from ear to ear.  

Overall though, I was a little underwhelmed by the movie.  It was okay.  I loved how the movie incorporated the illustrations from the book.  I enjoyed seeing some of my favorite moments from the book played out for me (such as when the father gets them with the water when they are running home on Halloween).  But other than those few singular moments that I loved--the rest of the movie kind-of lulled for me.

There was one aspect to the movie that I really loved--Angie Steadman.  I loved her character--the way she called Greg's schemes into question.   But I do not remember her from the book at all.  And it seems that adding her had a major effect on the dynamics within the story.  How can Greg claim not to know the unlikelihood of his scheme working when Angie already questioned his logic?

There were also some things that got changed from the book that make me wonder how they will play out across the series as a whole.  Spoiler Alert! In particular, at the end of the book Rawley gets named a class favorite as Class Clown.  He is alone in this honor.  In the movie, Greg and Rawley get named a class favorite as Cutest Friends.  They get the honor together.  That seems to be a difference that could have an effect on the dynamic between Rawley and Greg--particularly as their story continues.

Recommendations:
I plan to read the next book--so I will probably watch the next movie:

To The Movies: Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief

When a storyline from a book is turned into a movie, the movie becomes its own text. The basic storyline may be the same, but when changes are made in order to fit the movie within a time limit or to highlight an element or theme that the people involved in the movie feels is important—they make the story their own. I will focus these features on movies made based on books I have read—I want to look beyond whether I think the movie is better or worse than the book. I want to appreciate and review the movie as a companion to the book.
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Genre: Adventure, Fantasy, Mystery
Actors: Logan Lerman, Kevin McKidd, Steve Coogan and Alexandra Daddario (she was my favorite part of the movie!)
Director: Chris Columbus
Scriptwriter: Craig Titley
Date DVD Released: June 29, 2010
MPAA Rating: PG
Movie Info: IMDB
Order Online: Amazon.com
Rating: 1 star
Borrowed movie from library.

In A Nutshell:
This movie stripped a lot of the charm of the book--and in its place bastardized the Greek Mythology that made the book so enchanting for me.  The only moment that was worthwhile in the entire movie was the last scene when smelly Gabe opened up the fridge and...well I cannot tell you because if you do decide to sit through this whole movie I do not want to ruin the best part in my review.

Review:
I loved how the book re-sparked my interest in Greek mythology--made me want to go back and re-read the stories I had read in school about the Gods, the Goddess, and the Heroes.  In some ways, this movie did the same thing but only because the movie bastardized a lot of the stories I loved.  I have to go back and re-read them to clear out the mis-information of this movie.  For instance, Persephone was in the Underworld just before the Summer Solstice--except that mythology has Persephone with her mother during spring and summer.  That is why they are bright, sunny, and beautiful because her mother is overjoyed to have her beloved daughter by her side.  The movie also sexualized her character (and had her hitting on Grover--but that is another story), when she is presented in mythology as a innocent and naive woman.

I could have accepted many of the differences in the book and the movie, if I had been convinced that the story they created benefited from the changes.  But instead of a plot constructed by a suffering Titan hoping to regain his throne (with thousands and thousands of years to plot) and a god who has a history of causing conflict--we have a plot constructed by a lone teen boy.  Not believable that he would have had the ingenuity and magical talent to put this whole plan into action.  Instead of the young heroes and the protector going on a quest (in line with the mythology), they are runaways.

This fugitive status (and a rule instituted by Zeus that forbid the gods and goddesses from contacting their children) mean that Percy, Annabeth, and Grover had to find the pearls rather than getting them as sign of support from Poseidon.  In fact the entire relationship between Percy and Poseidon seemed different--much more hatred and hostility on Percy's part than I got from the book, and this change did not seem to benefit the story.  It just made it harder to endure.  And I do not remember this rule being prominent in the book since the campers had been at Mount Olympus for the Winter Solstice. 

Overall, I was disappointed with the movie.  I missed the opportunity to see the trap at the tunnel of love that was broadcast to Mount Olympus, the moment where Poseidon claimed Percy in front of the whole camp, and the Oracle and the prophecy that Percy had to decipher throughout the entire quest.  

Recommendations:
The character I really loved in the movie was Annabeth--and I realized she was played by Alexandra Daddario.  I knew her from one of my favorite TV shows, so I am going to go watch that instead:

Follow Friday (9)

Question of the Week: The New Year is here -- and everyone wants to know your New Years Blogging Resolution! What are you going to try to revise, revamp and redo for 2012 on your blog?

Since I had my unplanned hiatus not too long ago--I had set some new goals/resolutions for myself then that I intend to continue with through the new year:
1) Review at least one book a week (and so far this goal has been going well so I think I have gotten into a groove that I can keep up with--I am however taking two college classes next semester so I will have to see what that does to my reading-for-fun time!)
2) Bring back my To The Movie posts which focuses on the movies based on books that I have already read.  I have been having a lot of fun going to the movies or renting movies I have been meaning to watch based on books that I loved (or at least liked as the case may be). 
3) Review more short stories and/or novellas.  This has been a genre that I have enjoyed exploring more and more but I have found that it is harder and harder to find stand-alone options that fit into these categories.  I have found quite a few anthologies--but I would love recommendations on short stories or novellas that you loved.
4) The TBR Intervention.  My TBR pile is ridiculous!  I have to get a handle on it in the new year.  So I am making a pledge to get focused on my TBR pile in the new year by participating in this challenge/intervention all year long.  Hopefully, I can get through some of the really great books that people recommended for me!

Challenges...as of right now I think the TBR Intervention is going to be my only reading "challenge" for 2012, but I am interested to see what you all have set for your blogging resolutions and/or challenges.  I may find one that I cannot resist.  :)

To The Movies: The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

When a storyline from a book is turned into a movie, the movie becomes its own text. The basic storyline may be the same, but when changes are made in order to fit the movie within a time limit or to highlight an element or theme that the people involved in the movie feels is important—they make the story their own. I will focus these features on movies made based on books I have read—I want to look beyond whether I think the movie is better or worse than the book. I want to appreciate and review the movie as a companion to the book.
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Genre: Drama, Thriller
Actors: Daniel Craig, Rooney Mara, and Christopher Plummer
Director: David Fincher
Scriptwriter: Steven Zaillian
Release Date: December 20, 2011
MPAA Rating: R
Movie Info: IMDB | Website
Review of The Millennium Trilogy: Here
Rating: 3 Stars
Purchased ticket.

In A Nutshell:
I loved the books!  I loved the Swedish versions of the movies!  I went to see this movie with some apprehension--how will it compare.  In the end, I am glad I watched it but I have a few concerns about what I saw.

Review:

After seeing this movie poster--I did not have high hopes for this movie.  The image did not necessarily offend me, but I could not see a woman like Lisbeth, who had been so thoroughly victimized by society, actually posing like that.   I have also watched the Swedish version of The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, and I loved it.  Why did we need another version?  I mention these two issues because I feel that they may have affected my feelings about this movie.

There were things I really liked about this movie.  I loved that it was longer--and that with the added length we got to see more of the details from the book.  We got to see more of the process that lead Mikael and Lisbeth to uncover the truth.  It was those details that drew me into the book--and I loved seeing them come to life on the screen.

But there were a few more things that I did not like about the move.  First (and I am warning you now that this one is a spoiler), they changed the ending.  Rather than having Anita Vanger and Harriet Vanger living separate lives in separate countries--they had Harriet taking over Anita's life after her untimely death 20 years earlier.  Why?  I also question how realistic this modification is.  What are the chances that someone in the Vanger family would not have travelled to London in 20 years and in traveling to London would not have looked up their family member who lived there?  I understand that this family was dysfunctional--but the risk seemed a little too high for me considering how easily Mikael found Anita/Harriet in London.

Second (I really don't feel this is a spoiler), the opening sequence with the leading cast members' name listed.  The sequence is very fast and graphically interesting, but it is too fast.  It is hard to determine what the pictures actually depict--and consequently the meaning they are trying to convey.  And without understanding the meaning it felt like a awful lot of time to waste in the course of the story.  This sequence is also situated between the opening clip and the rest of the movie--so the lack of meaning stood out to me quite substantially.  The imagery also did not come up later--so it seemed out of place.

Third (could be considered by some to be a spoiler), I missed having the end tied to the beginning.  In the book--it was such an important moment when Harriet, Henrik and Mikael are looking at the flowers and she explains that she sent them hoping that Henrik would know that she was safe somewhere.  In the movie--their story ends at Harriet and Henrik hugging at the front door.  I missed that imagery and that moment that tied back to the opening sequence--the moment when Henrik decided that he was going to find out what happened to Harriet no matter what.  

I do not regret watching the movie--in fact I will say that I am glad I went to see the movie.  But I liked the Swedish version more and will probably buy that version rather than waiting for this version to come out on DVD.

Recommendations:
It comes in an extended version!! I want it!!

To The Movies: Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist

When a storyline from a book is turned into a movie, the movie becomes its own text. The basic storyline may be the same, but when changes are made in order to fit the movie within a time limit or to highlight an element or theme that the people involved in the movie feels is important—they make the story their own. I will focus these features on movies made based on books I have read—I want to look beyond whether I think the movie is better or worse than the book. I want to appreciate and review the movie as a companion to the book.
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Genre: Comedy, Drama, Music, Romance
Actors: Michael Cera, Kat Dennings, and Aaron Yoo
Director: Peter Sollett
Scriptwriter: Lorene Scafaria
Date DVD Released: February 3, 2009
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Movie Info: IMDB
Order Online: Amazon.com
Rating: 2 Stars
Borrowed from library.

In A Nutshell:
I liked this movie.  I could watch it more than one time and be satisfied.  But there was nothing about the movie that overly impressed me and there were a few things that I missed from the book.  Otherwise, it was just a good movie that was easy to watch.

Review:
There were a couple of things that differed from the book that I found disappointing.  First, the character of Tris.  In the book, her story develops.  We get to see that she is not quite as shallow or self-centered as she initially comes off.  In the movie, she never develops that aspect and because of it I felt that she was just a b***h in the movie.  It made the parts with her uneasy to watch.  Second, the music became more of a prop than central to the story.  In the book, the actual songs that Nick and Norah played when they were together matter--it was part of what drew them to each other.  In the book, we saw the iPod, they talked about music throughout, but we did not get to delve into the individual songs.  We had to take their words for it that Nick's playlists and mixes were wonderful--which seemed like an unusual choice for a movie where the playlist is central to the title.  But more than that, I was a little disappointed--after reading the book I wanted to hear the music that Nick and Norah talked about, the music that brought them together. 

One of the key elements of the book that I loved was reading the story from both of their perspectives.  I did miss that aspect in the movie.  There are attempts to bring that to the movie but most of the time the movie seems to be from the perspective of a third person looking in.  So when Norah lets Tal kiss her or when it looks like she will leave with him, as a viewer I was left questioning why.  Even at the end, I am not 100 percent sure of what she is thinking when it comes to Tal.  And I do not remember having so many questions about the relationship between Norah and Tal when I read the book. 

Recommendations:
I could not think of a movie that I would recommend similar to this movie, so I am going to recommend a book that I absolutely adored that was similar to the novel:

To The Movies: Never Let Me Go

When a storyline from a book is turned into a movie, the movie becomes its own text. The basic storyline may be the same, but when changes are made in order to fit the movie within a time limit or to highlight an element or theme that the people involved in the movie feels is important—they make the story their own. I will focus these features on movies made based on books I have read—I want to look beyond whether I think the movie is better or worse than the book. I want to appreciate and review the movie as a companion to the book
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Genre: Drama, Romance
Actors: Keira Knightley, Carey Mulligan, Andrew Garfield, Izzy Meikle-Small, Charlie Rowe
Director: Mark Romanek
Scriptwriter: Alex Garland
Date DVD Released: February 1, 2011
MPAA Rating: R
Movie Info: IMDB
Order Online: Amazon.com
Rating: 2 Stars
Borrowed from the library.

In A Nutshell:
I do not know what I expected from this movie.  I am glad I watched it after reading the book, but I do not think I would watch it again.  I did not find it compelling or gripping--just okay and a fairly accurate telling of the story in the book.

Review:
I am not sure what I hoped to gain from watching the movie since I was not overly impressed with the book.  But when I saw it at the library--I decided to take the leap.

In some ways, I felt the movie explained the program better and more quickly than in the book.  Miss Lucy explained what the Hailsham students could expect out of their life fairly clearly near the beginning of the movie.  It was heartbreaking as the camera panned across the faces of the students as Miss Lucy talked--the look on their faces as they absorbed what she said mixed with the innocence of not quite understanding the full impact of what they are being told. 

However, it did have an impact on the later scene when Tommy and Kathy go to see Miss Emily to ask for a deferment because they are in love.  In the book, this scene was so powerful because it was the first time the program is really explained in the book.  Since the movie explained the program in more detail earlier--this scene in the movie lacked some of the power of the book. 

Recommendations:
After watching this movie, I felt the need for a good laugh--and thought of another Keira Knightley movie:

To The Movies: Pride and Prejudice

When a storyline from a book is turned into a movie, the movie becomes its own text. The basic storyline may be the same, but when changes are made in order to fit the movie within a time limit or to highlight an element or theme that the people involved in the movie feels is important—they make the story their own. I will focus these features on movies made based on books I have read—I want to look beyond whether I think the movie is better or worse than the book. I want to appreciate and review the movie as a companion to the book
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Genre: Romance
Actors: Colin Firth, Jennifer Ehle, David Bamber, Crispin Bonham-Carter, Anna Chancellor
Date DVD Released: September 25, 2001
MPAA Rating: Not Rated (made for TV)
Movie Info: IMBD
Order Online:
Rating: 4 Stars
DVD purchased.

In A Nutshell:
This is my favorite book-turned-into-a-movie.  I do not proclaim this favorite status lightly.  I have a collection of memorabilia for another movie, but as I decided to resurrect my "To The Movies" posts this movie was all I could think about.  When I read this book (which I re-read at least once a year because I love it), Colin Firth is the Darcy I see in my head, Jennifer Ehle is the Elizabeth I see in my head.  

Review:
I still remember the first time I read this book--it was the summer before my senior year of high school.  I had already shown a love of classic British literature--I had fallen in love with Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre, so my aunt recommended this book to me.  And I loved it!  Not long after that, I found out that A&E had done a mini-series for this book.

I loved that the screenwriter stayed true to Jane Austen's story and the language she used in the book.  I could literally see the scenes that had taken my breath away in the book.  I have seen the proposal scene so many times--and each time my heart breaks for Darcy but I rally for Elizabeth.  She did not do what was expected of her.  She stood up for herself, her family, and her feelings--and I love that about her.

There were some scenes and characters that took my breath away as I cringed, and on the television screen I literally wanted to turn away--turn away or give way to a fit of giggles.  Mr. Collins talking about the chimney piece at Rosings or Lady Catherine's reaction to the rumor of Elizabeth and Darcy's engagement.  Even as I type this--I remember these scenes and the emotions I felt as I watched them come to mind.

This movie sticks with me.  I can recall so much of it in my mind as I write this review or as I re-read the book.  This movie enhances my experience with the text and that is why I love it.

Recommendations:
I love this version of Pride and Prejudice, but I am open to watching other versions:

But as I was doing the links for this posts, I realized that two of the stars are in another movie together...and I have to watch it now!!