Pertaining To Brightly Woven

(Written by Alexandra Bracken.) Sydelle Mirabil is not special. She's a talented weaver, yes, but otherwise is a perfectly normal girl growing up in an arid little town. So when a wizard named Wayland North singles her out as his companion to go on a dangerous journey, Sydelle is surprised and more than a little angry at being taken away from her family. She's isn't prepared to deal with all of North's mysteries and problems - and she's especially not prepared to face an evil wizard like Reuel Dorwan.

Pros: At last, a mainstream teen fiction book with real love! Sydelle and North really care for each other and want the best for each other - their love is not entirely romance. The characters seemed pretty real to me, with enough faults to make them human, but not annoying and childish like a lot of characters in books I've read.

Cons: Well, anytime a fantasy book has "goddesses," it makes me a little nervous. (Not that I see anything wrong with the goddesses in this book per se, after all, who's to say God didn't create many universes, some with guardian spirits?) It's just that the term "goddess" makes me squeamish. *Spoiler Warning* Then there's the part about the prophecy that says an evil goddess will come down in human form and crush the enemies of her followers. Sydelle is mistaken for this goddess - in other words, the goddess didn't come down. Now, this could be read as an insult to Christianity, both because it's an evil goddess who's supposed to come down, and because a not-so-ordinary human was mistaken for this goddess. However, any insult there might be is not blatant enough for me to label this book as "anti-Christian," particularly because the book is actually pretty good.

My Rating: T (sexual references and content)

Picture from alexandrabracken.com

On Fairest

(Written by Gail Carson Levine.) Aza is ugly. No, seriously. Dull black hair, sickly pale skin, big bones, garish red lips, and puffy cheeks all combine to make her quite an ugly young lady. But Aza can sing like a lark - and throw her voice to any spot within a reasonable distance, a talent she calls illusing. Unfortunately, her special talent gets her into trouble when the queen finds out about it. Aza is coerced into projecting her singing voice onto the queen's lips during public events - and finds herself increasingly out of her depth, particularly where Prince Ijori is concerned.

Pros: This is a fun adaptation of Snow White. It's set in the same world as one of Levine's other books, Ella Enchanted. The irrepressible, irresponsible fairy Lucinda is back, although she's not in it very much. I really like Prince Ijori, who's a really nice guy, but pretty normal.

Cons: The constant singing is a bit much. (Although I don't really mind their idea that singing can help a sick person heal, because singing is a way of praying.) *Spoiler Warning* Apparently people who spend time in the magic mirror end up in a different place than normal people when they move on to the "afterlife" (so to speak). Which, of course, is utterly ridiculous. But that's only one line in the book.

My Rating: AGC

Picture from gailcarsonlevine.com

Regarding Lady in the Water

Cleveland Heep (Paul Giamatti) is a very nice, quiet man with a stammer. He's the supervisor for an apartment house in Philadelphia, and all the residents really like him. About the only thing that annoys him is a mysterious person swimming in the pool at night, which has happened a lot lately. But then he discovers who the mysterious swimmer is - a beautiful, ethereal young woman named Story (Bryce Dallas Howard). Story is a water nymph - a Narf - from Blue World. All she wants is to complete her mission and leave. But an evil creature the size of a large wolf has pursued her and is bent on killing her no matter what it takes.

Pros: First of all, the whole point of this movie is that everybody has a purpose in life. They may not know what it is they're supposed to do until the moment they need to do it, but there is no such thing as a worthless life. I also love the way God is brought into this movie. Paul Giamatti and Bryce Dallas Howard both had simply awesome acting performances. And the characters in this movie are great. The various people in the apartment house have very distinct personalities, from the guy who only works out one side of his body to the older lady who tells everybody everything there is to know about her husband.

Cons: Unfortunately, this movie is not as subtle as the other M. Night Shyamalan movies I've seen. There's no need to look for a "deeper meaning" - things are stated clearly and concisely. Though, considering I would never have picked up on a couple things without having them specifically mentioned, I don't have too much of a problem with that. My other problem is that sometimes "the universe" is referred to as being responsible for some things - namely, for directly helping the protagonists. However, things are explained at a later part of the movie as being from God (though that isn't necessarily presented as being the definitive answer; it's just the opinion of a couple characters).

Note: Written, produced, and directed by M. Night Shyamalan.

My Rating: T (frightening images/situations, Story doesn't have much clothing on most of the time)

Picture from impawards.com

Concerning Persuasion

Anne Elliot (Amanda Root) was persuaded to reject Captain Wentworth's (Ciaran Hinds) offer of marriage when she was merely nineteen. He had no money and no connections, and it was deemed wise for young Anne to wait for someone who would be more worthy of her. Eight years later, Captain Wentworth suddenly reappears in Anne's life. They are both still single, but Captain Wentworth appears to have quite gotten over his love for her. Anne suffers in silence as she watches him shower his attentions on a distant relative of hers. But then she meets a new man. Mr. Elliot (Samuel West), her estranged cousin, enters her life and is immediately attracted to her quiet prettiness and gentle heart. Anne quietly accepts his attentions, but somehow she can't quite cut the ties that bind her heart to the navy man she once rejected.

Pros: It's a wonderful love story. It's also funny, with many, many lines straight out of the book. Amanda Root is my ideal Anne Elliot. Samuel West is absolutely perfect as Mr. Elliot. They could have picked a handsomer Captain Wentworth than Ciaran Hinds, but otherwise he's great.

Cons: Lady Russell (Susan Fleetwood) and Mrs. Clay (Felicity Dean) are both horrible. Lady Russell looks like she has short hair (short hair! In a Regency period story!) and Mrs. Clay is not nearly pretty enough.

My Rating: AGC

In Relation To The Blind Side

Michael Oher (Quinton Aaron) is a big, big boy. When the football coach at a Christian private school spots him playing basketball, he immediately decides he needs this young man on his team. That leads to Michael's enrollment in the school, despite his low grade-point average. Then Leigh Anne Tuohy (Sandra Bullock), who has two children who attend the same school, spots him and discovers he has nowhere to sleep at night. Being a southern firecracker who always gets her way and always does the right thing, Leigh Anne brings him home - supposedly just for the night.

Pros: I was pleasantly surprised at how much God was mentioned in this movie. It's refreshing to watch a Christian movie that wasn't put out by a low-budget Christian studio. I liked all the main characters, especially the little boy S.J. (Jae Head), who was a scream. There were some very funny parts. I had heard that the filmmakers used Michael's story as a "prop" for showing the Tuohys's goodness, but I thought the movie was equally about Michael and the Tuohys.

Cons: Personally, I don't think Quinton Aaron is a particularly good actor. There were one or two very cliche lines.

My Rating: MT (sexual and drug references)

Picture from impawards.com

Concerning The Bourne Identity

A young man (Matt Damon) is pulled out of the Mediterranean Sea by a group of fisherman. He's been shot in the back twice, is wearing some kind of hypothermal suit, and has a little metal thing with a Swiss bank account number in his hip. Never have the fishermen encountered anyone so mysterious. Who is he? What is he doing there? He doesn't know. He can't remember anything. But Conklin (Chris Cooper), the head of a secret CIA program, knows. The mysterious young man is Jason Bourne, a CIA agent who was sent on a top-secret mission - and failed. When his superior puts the pressure on, Conklin has to "clean up" the mess made by the Jason's failure. In other words, Jason had better put on his gloves, because he's in for a nasty fight.

Pros: First and foremost, this is a great action movie! Coming in at a close second, Matt Damon is really a great actor, and Franka Potente is perfect as Marie, the young lady who ends up joining forces with Jason. I love watching Jason's transformation from a guy wrapped up in his own problems, who's aware of everything except the feelings of the people around him (namely, Marie), to a guy with a heart. Conklin is funny in spite (and, yes, partly because) of his bad language.

Cons: The fighting isn't always one hundred percent realistic, although that's sort of splitting hairs.

Note: If you get the "Explosive Extended Version," just watch the theatrical movie. As far as I can tell, the only difference between the two is the final scene, and the theatrical version is much better.

My Rating: T (sexual content, language, violence)

Picture from impawards.com

Pertaining To The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

Edmund (Skandar Keynes) and Lucy (Georgie Henley) Pevensie are miserable. Their parents went off to America, taking their older siblings with them and leaving Edmund and Lucy behind in England. To be more specific, leaving them behind at their aunt and uncle's house - to live with their cousin, Eustace Clarence Scrubb (Will Poulter), a boy who almost deserved his name. But when the painting in Lucy's room magically transports the siblings - and their cousin - into Narnia to join now-King Caspian's (Ben Barnes) adventuresome voyage, life suddenly looks a lot brighter.

Pros: They got Aslan right! In the first two movies, little line tweaks messed up his character a little, but in this one... he was perfect. I was very pleased with how much was similar to the book, and with how much was changed. I love a lot of the elements of the book, but it bothered me that there wasn't really a drive behind the voyage. In other words, I really wished there was a more urgent objective other than sailing around looking for the lost lords. And the movie added that. Will Poulter was an awesome Eustace, and was definitely the best part of the movie! Also, a pre-release trailer showed Peter and Susan back in Narnia - but that part never made it into the theater version of the movie. I could really go on and on about what I liked; just suffice it to say I liked everything that didn't make it into my "cons" list.

Cons: Georgie Henley isn't a real great actress, although she's great at screaming. Another thing that bothered me is the rating. Now, I love movies that are intense or creepy (well, to a certain point, anyway), but this movie deserved a PG-13 rating for scariness and creepiness. There were little kids in the theater I went to who were crying by the end of the sea serpent scene. I love the scene; I just don't think it's appropriate for little kids. Also, what about Caspian and Ramandu's daughter?! She was awesome, but there's supposed to be a bit more than "I hope I see you again!" Grr.

Note: Based on the book by C.S. Lewis.

My Rating: T (gross and scary sea serpent, battles)

Picture from impawards.com

On The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian

Prince Caspian (Ben Barnes) is in trouble. His aunt has just had a baby boy, and his uncle Miraz (Sergio Castellitto), who has been king in all but title since Caspian's father died, now has no use for Caspian. Where Miraz is concerned, that means there's no need for Caspian to remain alive. On the advice of his old tutor, Caspian flees into the woods, taking something called "Queen Susan's Horn" with him. When he is attacked by strange creatures, Caspian blows the horn, calling for the old kings and queens of Narnia - the Pevensie children from England - to return.

Pros: This is a really cool movie. The special effects are awesome, and it's really exciting. Despite what nearly everyone I know says, I really like Peter (William Moseley). Lucy (Georgie Henley) is very sweet, as always. Oh, and Reepicheep (Eddie Izzard) and Trumpkin (Peter Dinklage) are hilarious. Also, the book, though filled with deeper meanings and stuff, is very much written for little kids - at least, as far as the style goes. This movie was definitely made to appeal to teenagers as well as kids. Finally, I believe the point of the book, which is faith, remained in the movie despite how much they changed things. (As a side note, Prince Caspian is downright gorgeous.)

Cons: The top of this list is definitely Susan (Anna Popplewell) and Caspian falling in love. I really can't stand Susan, so I can't stand that part of the story. Next comes the tweaking of a couple of Aslan's lines. Changing those took away from him as an image of Christ. Also, although Reepicheep and Trumpkin are funny, they're not really how they're supposed to be. Trumpkin doesn't believe in Aslan, and he's a glass half empty kind of guy, but he's not sullen, and Reepicheep is supposed to be ridiculously puffed up with dignity, not really sarcastic.

Note: Based on the book by C.S. Lewis.

My Rating: OK (frightening images, non-graphic battle scenes)

Picture from impawards.com

Regarding Jane Eyre (1983)

Jane Eyre (Zelah Clarke) is a poor, penniless orphan who lives off the dubious charity of her aunt. She is sent to a rather cheerless boarding school, where she spends eight years before leaving to become a governess to a little French girl named Adele (Blance Youinou). Adele is a sweet little thing, but her guardian, Mr. Rochester (Timothy Dalton) is moody and mysterious. As Jane becomes more and more comfortable in her new home, she also becomes more and more attracted to its master. But Mr. Rochester is not moody and mysterious for nothing - his past holds a deep, dark secret that could destroy Jane's happiness altogether.

Pros: Lots and lots of lines are straight out of the book. Timothy Dalton doesn't look the part of Mr. Rochester, but he acts him pretty well. And someone finally got St. John Rivers (Andrew Bicknell) right! Also, this one had a lot more time to develop as a story than the other versions I've seen, as it is nearly four hours long.

Cons: It's definitely a 1980s British movie. The sets, costumes, lighting, etc. aren't particularly well done. Zelah Clarke was far too old to play Jane. She was almost thirty; Jane is supposed to be eighteen! Plus, I know the fidelity to St. John's character was one of my pros, but I can't stand him!

Note: Based on the book by Charlotte Bronte.

My Rating: T (thematic elements)

In Relation To Ice

(Written by Sarah Beth Durst.) Cassie Dasent has no memory of her mother. The only thing she knows is a little fairy tale her grandmother used to tell her that ends with Cassie engaged to a Polar Bear King at birth and her mother trapped in a castle of the trolls. But she doesn't really know what happened to her mother, because it's just a fairy tale. Or is it?

Pros: This book really fires the imagination. Bear's castle is soooo beautiful!

Cons: Where to start? I had several issues with this book. The most obvious (but not the biggest, as it could be dismissed as just being "part of a fairy tale") is the reincarnation, followed closely by the idea that the "soul" of a wind, for example, could become the soul of a human in its next life, and vice versa. My second issue was with a much smaller part of the story, but it was even more irksome. Cassie gets furious with Bear when he alters her body so she can become pregnant despite the fact that she's on the pill. She's angry that he did so without telling her and against her wishes. But never once does it occur to her that she betrayed him as well. She invited him into her bed and, knowing full well that Bear's most cherished wish is to have children, she used artificial birth control without telling him or gaining his consent. What can be more selfish than that? Finally, there's the semi-obsession with polar bears. It's handled pretty well, but polar bears drive me crazy, since they're sort of the poster boys for global warming, a "problem" that has been grossly exaggerated.

Note: Loosely based on the fairy tale "East of the Sun and West of the Moon."

My Rating: T (artificial birth control, birth scene, confused theology)

Picture from sarahbethdurst.com.

Concerning Dombey & Son

Paul Dombey (Julian Glover) dotes on his son. The third in a line of successful businessmen, Mr. Dombey wants his son to take his place in the firm someday and expand the family fortune. Unfortunately, his obsession with his son and his business are to the exclusion of everything else - including his sweet, patient daughter Florence (Lysette Anthony). As time goes on, Mr. Dombey's neglect of Florence turns into a deeply ingrained dislike. But when tragedy strikes again and again, will Mr. Dombey be able to turn to her for help or will his pride or her wounded heart keep them apart?

Pros: The story kept me interested, although it could wander a little bit sometimes. Florence is a very Dickens-y heroine - very sweet and kind, but with a heavy burden to carry. The side characters can be funny, especially Captain Cuttle (Emrys James). It would really be a great re-make (so long as they handled a couple of parts in the story with grace and dignity - something I highly doubt).

Cons: This is so a 1980s BBC movie. The costumes and makeup are so-so, but the lighting and the sets and some of the props are not very good. Neither is the sound; some characters speak a lot louder than others. Oh, and Mr. Dombey's son is not a very good actor. During a lot of the early scenes I caught myself wondering "And what's the point of this scene?" I think almost every scene becomes important to the story at some point in the movie, but some of them seem pretty pointless at the time. Finally, viewers don't get emotionally involved, which is a must for any movie. (Yes, it is; who doesn't want to feel excited during an action/adventure movie, or creepy-crawly during a spooky movie?) Finally, the climax scene (at least, I suppose it was the climax scene) was really odd. A friend and I each interpreted it a different way. *Spoiler Warning* Did the bad guy commit suicide or was it an accident? I think it was an accident; my friend thought it was suicide. Either way, it was a pretty lame and confusing part.

Note: Based on the book by Charles Dickens.

My Rating: T (thematic elements)

Regarding Sherlock: The Great Game

(Third movie in the BBC series with the twenty-first century Sherlock Holmes.) Someone is playing a dangerous game with Sherlock Holmes (Benedict Cumberbatch). The police consultant gets a phone call from a woman who's been strapped to a bomb. Someone will kill her unless Sherlock solves a case within a set time limit. His only clue? A pair of old shoes. Who would play such a cruel game? Why? Only Sherlock, with a little help from his associate, Dr. John Watson (Martin Freeman), can find out.

Pros: Pretty intense story! And talk about a surprising ending... and about the best cliff-hanger I've ever seen. (Can't wait for them to make more!) Funny, as usual. Oh, and DI Lestrade (Rupert Graves) is back, which is good. For my thoughts on this series in general, read my review of Sherlock: A Study in Pink.

Cons: It was a bit hard to keep up with at times, but I suppose that's because Sherlock speaks so quickly sometimes...

My Rating: T/MT ((depends on the person's exposure to homosexual people) sexual references, mild homosexual references)

Pertaining To Sir Percy Hits Back

(Written by Baroness Orczy. Eleventh book in the Scarlet Pimpernel series.) Fleurette has long been sheltered from the world outside by her doting father. But her perfect little world is shattered when her sweetheart, Amede, is arrested for treason against the French Republic. Desperate for his safety, Fleurette leaves her home to find her father, who is a man of some influence. Little does she know there's someone far more powerful already looking out for her - the Englishman known as Sir Percy Blakeney, alias the Scarlet Pimpernel.

Pros: Another Scarlet Pimpernel book! Fleurette is such a sweetheart, and although Amede is in it very little, he's pretty nice too. There's a surprising twist or two (or possibly three) along the way. *Spoiler Warning* I was glad to see Chauvelin actually has a heart. I don't like villains to be villainous to their very core.

Cons: Sir Percy isn't in it nearly enough. The climax scene is rather predictable, particularly if you've read other Scarlet Pimpernel novels.

My Rating: OK (violence)

Picture from paperbackswap.com.