{Movie Review} Movie Monday #19: Catching Fire

We all delight in seeing our favorite books brought to life on the big screen.  We cringe at casting.  We scoff at release dates.  All the while, we're gearing up to see if the director's vision lives up to the world we've conceived in our own imaginations.  Sometimes it does...and sometimes it doesn't.  We could lament the movies that don't measure up, or we could return to the books for a re-read, possibly with a slightly different mind-set.  All's fair when it comes to artistic vision, right?





This week, I'm featuring the following adaptation:

Title: Catching Fire
Director: Francis Lawrence
Stars: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Sam Claflin
Release date: November 22, 2013
Based on: Catching Fire (The Hunger Games #2) by Suzanne Collins

Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark become targets of the Capitol after their victory in the 74th Hunger Games sparks a rebellion in the Districts of Panem.

I purposely didn't re-read Catching Fire prior to seeing the movie.  I'm always disappointed when I do that because it makes it that much easier to pick up on all the things that an adaptation is lacking.  But with this movie, I honestly don't think anything was missing.  The power, the message, the emotion of the book...it was all there for the world to see in the movie.

Jennifer Lawrence is just awesome.  I don't even really think I need to go into that because you've seen her act, you've seen the interviews, and you've seen her spaz out over meeting Jeff Bridges.  She is the girl you want to be best friends with.  Sam Claflin as Finnick was Finnick.  Holy hotness!  And lots of people are finally giving Josh Hutcherson the praise he deserves after his role in this sequel, but I've been a fan since Bridge to Terabithia.  I cried like nobody's business at the end of that movie, and I know he'll have me crying again in Mockingjay.

But what really surprised me, though, is how much I love Elizabeth Banks as Effie Trinket.  Admittedly, I kind of despised this character in the books because of what she and the Capitol stood for, but when brought to life on the big screen, I can see her character for what she really is:  a woman who is only now witnessing the horrible injustices served up at the hands of the Capitol.  Effie was oblivious to it all before the Quarter Quell, I think, and that doesn't make it alright, but now her eyes are open and she's come to think of Katniss, Peeta and even Haymitch as family.

Oh, and the costumes, especially Effie's...I think they were even more elaborate and gorgeous and just stunning this time around.  I mean that twirling "girl on fire" dress in the first movie was amazing, but the dress with the mockingjay wings?  That was beyond impressive.  And the statement it makes!  The costume designers on these movies are simply amazing.

I'm hoping to see the movie again with my sister to pick up on all the nuances I missed while I was fangirling the first time around.  Also, she's pissed that I saw it without her, especially since I was the one who got her to read the series in the first place.  Oops.  =)  But maybe I'll re-read before I see it this time.  Just in case I really did miss something.

All in all, I thought the movie was absolutely brilliant.  The cast and the acting were phenomenal, even better than in the first movie, and even though this movie isn't quite as sad and emotionally draining as the story in the first, my eyes still welled up a few times.  These adaptations are really living up to the supremely high expectations the books set for them. My only complaint is that I wish the final book weren't being split into two movies.  :(

Have you read the book?  Have you seen the movie?  How do you think this one fared as an adaptation?

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Labels: adaptations, favorites, from book to screen, movie mondays, movie reviews, must-see, suzanne collins, the hunger games

Movie Monday #17: Oz the Great and Powerful

We all delight in seeing our favorite books brought to life on the big screen.  We cringe at casting.  We scoff at release dates.  All the while, we're gearing up to see if the director's vision lives up to the world we've conceived in our own imaginations.  Sometimes it does...and sometimes it doesn't.  We could lament the movies that don't measure up, or we could return to the books for a re-read, possibly with a slightly different mind-set.  All's fair when it comes to artistic vision, right?





This week, I'm featuring the following adaptation:

Title: Oz the Great and Powerful
Director: Sam Raimi
Stars: James Franco, Mila Kunis, Rachel Weisz, Michelle Williams
Release date: March 8, 2013
Based on: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum

Oscar Diggs (James Franco), a small-time circus magician with dubious ethics, is hurled away from dusty Kansas to the vibrant Land of Oz. At first he thinks he's hit the jackpot-fame and fortune are his for the taking. That all changes, however, when he meets three witches, Theodora (Mila Kunis), Evanora (Rachel Weisz), and Glinda (Michelle Williams), who are not convinced he is the great wizard everyone's been expecting. Reluctantly drawn into the epic problems facing the Land of Oz and its inhabitants, Oscar must find out who is good and who is evil before it is too late. Putting his magical arts to use through illusion, ingenuity-and even a bit of wizardry-Oscar transforms himself not only into the great and powerful Wizard of Oz but into a better man as well.

My 5yo daughter has been harassing me to watch Oz since they started showing the previews again on Starz, now that it's hit cable.  So, since the hubby had to work late on Friday night, me and the kiddo curled up on the couch and got our munchkin on.

So far as watching with a child, that experience was great.  The movie was so colorful and vibrant and Katie just adored it.  And it was a pretty movie, I'll give it that.  But I felt that, as far as adaptations go, it was trying too hard to be evocative in the way that Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland was, and it just fell flat, especially with James Franco in the lead role.

Don't get me wrong, I like Franco.  And I can almost see why he was cast as the conman his character starts out as, but he just never felt like Oz to me. Honestly, I don't know who I would have picked for that part, though.  My favorite characters were his little lackeys on his quest to find the Wicked Witch:  Finley and China Girl.  I've always adored Zach Braff, though.  China Girl was just all kinds of adorable, and I liked how her ailment in Kansas correlated with her distressing injury in Oz, and how unlike his persona back in Kansas, Oz was able to actually help her the second time around.

I loved that the parallels that exist between Kansas and Oz are still ever-present in this adaptation.  Even if this prequel doesn't hold a candle to the original movie and the emotional ties I have with it, it was still an entertaining movie. Daughter has already asked if we can buy a copy so she can watch again and again, much like I rewound and rewatched that old VHS of mine when I was a little one.  'Course, there for awhile, it was 'cause I was trying to spot that crane/guy hanging after my older sister told me about it.  Yep, we were kinda warped.  =)

**I have never read any of the books in L. Frank Baum's Oz series, but it's on the list.  Now that I have a little girl, I think it's high time we read them together.

Have you read the books?  Have you seen the movie or do you have any plans to?

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Labels: adaptations, from book to screen, movie mondays, movie reviews, retellings, the wizard of oz

Movie Monday #13: Vampire Academy: Blood Sisters

We all delight in seeing our favorite books brought to life on the big screen.  We cringe at casting.  We scoff at release dates.  All the while, we're gearing up to see if the director's vision lives up to the world we've conceived in our own imaginations.  Sometimes it does...and sometimes it doesn't.  We could lament the movies that don't measure up, or we could return to the books for a re-read, possibly with a slightly different mind-set.  All's fair when it comes to artistic vision, right?




This week, I'm featuring the following adaptation:

Title: Vampire Academy:  Blood Sisters
Director: Mark Waters
Stars: Zoey Deutch, Lucy Fry, Danila Kozlovsky
Release date: February 14, 2014
Based on: Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

Rose Hathaway is a Dhampir, half human/vampire, guardians of the Moroi, peaceful, mortal vampires living discretely within our world. Her legacy is to protect the Moroi from bloodthirsty, immortal Vampires, the Strigoi. This is her story.
-----------------------------------
Rose Hathaway is a dhampir, half-vampire and half-human, who is training to be a guardian at St. Vladimir's Academy along with many others like her. There are good and bad vampires in their world: Moroi, who co-exist peacefully among the humans and only take blood from donors, and also possess the ability to control one of the four elements - water, earth, fire or air; and Strigoi, blood-sucking, evil vampires who drink to kill. Rose and other dhampir guardians are trained to protect Moroi and kill Strigoi throughout their education. Along with her best friend, Princess Vasilisa Dragomir, a Moroi and the last of her line, with whom she has a nigh unbreakable bond, Rose must run away from St. Vladimir's, in order to protect Lissa from those who wish to harm the princess and use her for their own means.

First things first, here's the teaser trailer that was just released:

I don't know about you, but I am pretty effing stoked for this movie.  I am totally on board with the casting. I love that the cast is full of virtually unknown actors...I think it makes it a ton easier to envision them as the characters from the books.  And boy is it easy to envision Danila Kozlovsky as Dimitri!  =)

Look, he's wearing the duster!!!

I came to the VA series after all the books were released, and I listened to them back-to-back on a road trip.  It was awesome.  But even more awesome than that was finding out that the first book was being made into a movie.  I admit, I was skeptical at first, but I see some serious potential in the movie, especially after this teaser trailer.  Twilight hypocrites and naysayers, back the eff off!  This is NOT that kind of vampire story.

See that humor there?  The friendship?  Those things set this book apart from that other vampire novel. Another good thing this adaptation has going for it is the writer/director team of Daniel Waters (of Heathers fame) and Mark Waters (of Mean Girls fame).  Some of the quotes already up on the IMDb page are more proof -- at least to me -- that this film is going to excel where others have failed. 

I hate that we have to wait until Valentine's Day for the release, but that's just clever marketing. I will definitely be dragging my honey to see it with me.  In the meantime, I'll be doing a series re-listen, I think.  :D

Have you read the book?  What do you think about it being made into a film?  Do you think you'll see it?

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Labels: adaptations, favorites, from book to screen, movie mondays, richelle mead, vampire academy, vampires

{Audiobook} Review: The Spectacular Now by Tim Tharp

Title: The Spectacular Now
Author: Tim Tharp
Narrator: MacLeod Andrews
Series: n/a
Publisher: Brilliance Audio
Publication Date: August 20, 2009
Source: purchased audio
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible

This National Book Award Finalist is now a major motion picture -- one of the most buzzed-about films at Sundance 2013, starring Shailene Woodley and Miles Teller.

Sutter Keely. He’s the guy you want at your party. He’ll get everyone dancing. He’ll get everyone in your parents’ pool. Okay, so he’s not exactly a shining academic star. He has no plans for college and will probably end up folding men’s shirts for a living. But there are plenty of ladies in town, and with the help of Dean Martin and Seagram’s V.O., life’s pretty fabuloso, actually.

Until the morning he wakes up on a random front lawn, and he meets Aimee. Aimee’s clueless. Aimee is a social disaster. Aimee needs help, and it’s up to the Sutterman to show Aimee a splendiferous time and then let her go forth and prosper. But Aimee’s not like other girls, and before long he’s in way over his head. For the first time in his life, he has the power to make a difference in someone else’s life—or ruin it forever.

Admittedly, I only know about this book because I heard it's going to be made into a movie.  Or rather, it's already a movie and I'm just now hearing about it.  Let's not argue the finer points.  But it wasn't until I read this review that I really wanted to check the book out, having grown up in a small town in the South myself. And let me tell you, it was like reliving those days again, hearing the Sutterman regale us with his tales of small-town life.

Sure, every school has those same kids:  the hard-partiers, the wallflowers, the too-perfect jocks.  But it's different in a small town.  Trust me, I went from attending school in a suburb of Dallas to a school in a town of only 4,000 people.  It is very different.  Even the parties are different.  There may be cliques at school, but when everyone came together for a pasture party, we were all friends.  What I'm trying to say is, this story paints a very accurate picture, at least from where I'm standing.

And I don't think they could have picked a more perfect narrator for this audiobook.  He was beyond spectacular! (Heh.)  I've listened to audiobooks narrated by MacLeod Andrews before, and he did a great job with those, too, but he was totally channeling Matthew McConaughey from Dazed and Confused ("Alright, alright, alright") when he performed The Spectacular Now.  Sutter's accent, his jovial nature, his carefree attitude...MacLeod's narration was the embodiment of this character.  Even when he voiced other characters, he gave them a life of their own.  Without a doubt, he was the best narrator for the job.

Sutter Keely is the quintessential small-town guy.  He's the guy everyone knows but that most can only handle in small doses.  He's got nothing but time, and he's going to spend it having fun...and working on a buzz.  Even at 10 o'clock in the morning.  He's just a lovable guy who could have benefited from having his father in his life.  Sutter truly is a good-hearted guy...he really is. But it's like Bob tells him, he doesn't pay any attention to the consequences of his actions.  Even if he has the best intentions, he doesn't always see the bigger picture until it's too late.

The author paints such a realistic portrait of this character.  Sutter is a complicated guy, much more complex than anyone else suspects.  He makes terrible decisions, and he's a rather bad influence to a certain wallflower who blooms under his attention.  Aimee is caught up in the whirlwind of his charisma and charm, much to her own detriment.  Sutter is misguided, and it's easy to be appalled by some of the things he does, especially where Aimee is concerned.  As much as I empathize with Sutter's character, I hurt for Aimee's more.  For Sutter to know what she's been through, how she's been brought up, and to treat her in such a way and be so neglectful of her feelings...it's damn near unforgivable.  Not that he does anything to outright hurt her, but that whole issue of consequences is another matter.

This book doesn't take the subjects of addiction and alcoholism and deal with them in black and white, but it also doesn't take them lightly.  The Spectacular Now doesn't turn into an "issues" book, constantly forcing its message on us.  While we're slowly watching Sutter's downward spiral, we see the ups and downs of addiction, how the highs keep the cycle going.  And through some intervention from his friends, we see how everyone else is handling Sutter's problem with alcohol, how it hurts them to see him continuing on this path. And it seems that they get through to him, to some extent at least.  Because he does finally decide to put one person's well-being ahead of his own.

I'm still not sure what to think about that ending.  I don't even know what I was hoping for by the end, really. I don't think I was looking for a happy ending necessarily, but some sort of closure would have been nice. Instead, I'm left feeling gutted and empty, wondering how a story that had me laughing was simultaneously pushing me ever closer to the edge of the abyss.  Honestly, I saw it coming, but I guess I just didn't want to believe it. And although it's painful and maybe not the ending I was expecting, it probably was the most realistic way to end this story.  Props to the author for not taking the easy way out.

Rating: 

About the author:

Tim Tharp lives in Oklahoma where he writes novels and teaches in the Humanities Department at Rose State College. In addition to earning a B.A. from the University of Oklahoma and an M.F.A. from Brown University, Tim Tharp has been a factory hand, construction laborer, psychiatric aid, long-distance hitchhiker, and record store clerk. His first novel, Falling Dark (Milkweed Press), was awarded the Milkweed National Fiction Prize. Knights of the Hill Country (Knopf Books for Young Readers) is his first novel for young adults and was named to the American Library Association's Best Books of 2007 list. Tim's new YA novel, The Spectacular Now, (Knopf Books, Nov. 2008) was a finalist for the 2008 National Book Award.

Find Tim:

Website | Goodreads

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Labels: audiobooks, contemporary, from book to screen, random house, reviews, the spectacular now, tim tharp, tough subject

{Movie Review} Movie Monday #9: Beautiful Creatures

We all delight in seeing our favorite books brought to life on the big screen.  We cringe at casting.  We scoff at release dates.  All the while, we're gearing up to see if the director's vision lives up to the world we've conceived in our own imaginations.  Sometimes it does...and sometimes it doesn't.  We could lament the movies that don't measure up, or we could return to the books for a re-read, possibly with a slightly different mind-set.  All's fair when it comes to artistic vision, right?




This week, I'd like to feature:

Title: Beautiful Creatures
Director: Richard LaGravenese
Stars: Alden Ehrenreich, Alice Englert, Emmy Rossum
Release date: February 13, 2013
Based on: Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

Ethan longs to escape his small Southern town. He meets a mysterious new girl, Lena. Together, they uncover dark secrets about their respective families, their history and their town.

I originally featured this movie back in December, but I didn't get around to seeing it in the theater.  Instead, I waited until I was sick and there was nothing on TV.  This movie was up on On Demand a week or two ago, and I coerced the hubby into watching it with me since I was all pitiful and sickly.  ;0)

As I stated in my previous post, I have not read Beautiful Creatures.  Oh, I started the audiobook for it, but I never made it past the first 25%.  The narrators weren't bad or anything...the story was just so slow.  Others have told me to give it a chance, that it does pick up.  We'll see.

The movie, however, was not nearly as disappointing, though I know many would be inclined to disagree.  But I think this is one of those cases where not having read the book really helped.  It was all fairly predictable, but the movie was visually stunning, and so I could look past that.  (I can overlook a lot of things for the pretty.)

I can see why so many are drawn to this story.  I rather liked it after it was condensed from a nearly 18 hour audiobook to a two hour movie.  But I can also see why some would be unhappy with what was cut from the book to make it into a movie.  I mean, there had to be an awful lot cut to make the movie's running time 1/9th of the length of the audiobook.

Still, I enjoyed myself.  I found it a bit cheesy and some of the acting suffered from bad dialogue.  But the effects weren't totally overdone.  Sounds like they're not going to adapt the rest of the series, though, so I'm glad with how this one ended.  Yeah, it wasn't the happiest of endings, but I've got enough closure, and that's what I need from an ending.

After it was over, the hubs said, "It was pretty good."  I said, "It was oookay."  He asked why I didn't like it more, and I told him it was because of the cheese.  Cheese makes some movies even better while it breaks others.

Rating:   1/2





Have you read the book and/or seen the movie yet?  I'd love to hear your thoughts!

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Labels: caster chronicles, from book to screen, kami garcia, margaret stohl, movie mondays, movie reviews

The Sunday Symposium: Adapting to the Adaptations

The Sunday Symposium is a weekly feature in which I'll be discussing various bookish topics and asking for your commentary, as well.  This week, let's talk about books being adapted into movies and television shows, shall we?

In the last couple of years, it seems like nearly every successful YA book or series is being adapted for the screen.  In fact, the movie rights to some novels are being purchased before the books have even made it to readers; for example, Ridley Scott's London production company purchased the rights to Moira Young's Blood Red Road a year before the book was published (source) and Kass Morgan's The 100 is already slated for the CW's fall lineup (source), even though the novel won't be released until September.


Personally, when I hear that a book I've read, favorite or not, is being adapted for the silver screen or for television audiences, I'm initially excited.  The thought of seeing a book come to life is exhilarating...but also unimaginable.  And so, soon after talk of a movie is addressed, I find myself worrying that the movie could never live up to the preconceived notions I have from the book.  (They rarely ever do.)  Then the casting begins, and I'm left even less sure of the film's success in my own mind, let alone the thousands of other readers who will be weighing in.

If I forbid myself from re-reading the book prior to a movie's release, I'm less likely to judge the film so harshly.  That was the case withThe Host and with Warm Bodies earlier this year.  Also, if I watch the movie first, I tend to find it more appealing than the book, as with The Neverending Story and The Princess Bride.  Basically, it comes down to timing, I suppose.  How recently I read the book.  If I even read the book prior to seeing the movie or tv show.  These are definitely big factors in how much I enjoy an adaptation, as are casting and how true the story remains to the original book.  Some I have control over, some I do not.

But sometimes, TV and movie execs get it right, whether they remained true to the story or not.  As with the CW's The Vampire Diaries.  I only read the first two novels in the series, and to me, they were complete shite.  There's no nice way to say it.  I read them over the course of a couple of weeks at the gym, and in the end, I flat-out hated myself for it.  And I swore I'd never waste my precious time watching a show based on such a farce of a story.  But then I saw that Boone from Lost was a recurring character, and well, eye candy is eye candy.  So, I gave the show a shot.  And then I was addicted, much to the dismay of my husband.  But that dismay didn't last long...he's as hooked as I am now, and we both kind of stared open-mouthed at each other after last Thursday's season finale.  Did. Not. See. That. Coming.


Anyways, book adaptations...they can be a good thing, or they can be a really, really bad idea.  There are a lot of aspects that affect the success, or lack thereof, of a book-to-screen adaptation.  And it goes without saying that no two adaptations will have the same results.  Obviously.

What makes or breaks an adaptation in your eyes?  What are some of your favorites?  Which ones were big ole flops, as far as you're concerned?  Are there any that you're particularly excited about?  Or maybe over-protectively leery of?  :P

And what say you on the recent news that FOX decided not to pick up the series based on the Delirium books by Lauren Oliver?  (source)  I'm actually relieved about that one.  With the slew of changes that the producers had decided to back, I was sure it would make for a pretty good tv show, but as an adaptation?  It was going to be awful.

I know it will never work out this way, but I wish adaptations would appeal to the readers first and then to the masses.  *sigh*

Any and all commentary, chastising, and public flogging is welcome, as per usual.  And thanks for stopping by!

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Labels: adaptations, from book to screen, the sunday symposium

{Movie Review} Movie Monday #8: The Host

We all delight in seeing our favorite books brought to life on the big screen.  We cringe at casting.  We scoff at release dates.  All the while, we're gearing up to see if the director's vision lives up to the world we've conceived in our own imaginations.  Sometimes it does...and sometimes it doesn't.  We could lament the movies that don't measure up, or we could return to the books for a re-read, possibly with a slightly different mind-set.  All's fair when it comes to artistic vision, right?




This week, I'd like to feature:

Title:  The Host
Director:  Andrew Niccol
Stars:  Saoirse Ronan, Max Irons, Jake Abel & Diane Kruger
Release date:  March 29, 2013
Based on:  The Host by Stephenie Meyer

When an unseen enemy threatens mankind by taking over their bodies and erasing their memories, Melanie will risk everything to protect the people she cares most about, proving that love can conquer all in a dangerous new world.

After the atrocity that was the first Twilight movie, I sat down to this movie with some trepidation.  Out of all of Stephenie Meyer's books, this one was my favorite.  I'm actually still waiting on her to write more from this world.  So I did not want some half-baked attempt at adapting this for the screen.  And I was pleasantly surprised.  This movie was GOOD!

The casting probably had a large part to do with my enjoyment, and I'm not just talking about the hotties, though their inclusion did not hurt matters.  I loved Saoirse Ronan in Hanna and I knew she would play the strong, resilient Melanie Stryder with ease.  And casting Diane Kruger as Seeker was a great choice.  Her interpretation of Seeker was phenomenal:  level-headed, persistent, and sometimes creepy as she searched for the host that got away.  Max Irons was a perfect Jared, at odds with himself and his love for Melanie.  But I most liked seeing Jake Abel as a good guy for once.  He's played a jerk and a traitor, and I'm glad he got the girl in this one.  =)

I wasn't sure how I was going to like the voice-over of Melanie inside Wanda's head, but after the initial shock of it, I liked it.  It sounded natural, though Melanie's voice in Wanda's head did take on a bit of a Southern drawl at times that Wanda as Melanie did not share.  But it worked, especially when Melanie used Wanda to act out.  Those were fun times.

The best part of this adaptation was how much unnecessary bullshit was excluded from a book that easily could have been half its length and still made for a good story.  It was entertaining and intense and full of the action that I loved in the book, without all of the tedious details.  Though, this did make the romance that developed between Wanda and Ian seem more like insta-love because the time frame seemed sped up in the movie.  But that might be my only complaint.

Overall, I think the movie did the book justice.  And now I really want to know how the story continues.  Writer lady needs to get her act together.  ;)

Rating:   1/2

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Labels: from book to screen, movie mondays, movie reviews, sci-fi, stephenie meyer, the host

Judging a Book By Its Cover #17: A Kid's Perspective on Coraline by Neil Gaiman

Okay, so I totally stole this idea from Sara at Forever 17 Books, who got the idea from an article on Babble called Judging a Book by Its Cover: A 6-year-old Guesses What Classic Novels Are All About.  I just discovered her lovely segment, and I immediately requested forced my own four-year-old daughter Katie to provide me with some of her own cover art artwork and then asked her what she thought the book was about.



This week, Katie gave me her take on the following book:

"Her's going away from her old house because her wants to see her old mom and dad a lot more.  And sometimes, she sees ghosts by her bed."

Cover Art

Coraline as envisioned by Katiebug

Okay, so we own the movie, so she kinda already knew the storyline, but she got a tad confused when she was telling me about it.  Still, it's been awhile since she's seen it, and I don't think we've ever read the book together, so I'm pretty proud that she remembers that much of it.

Have you read this book or do you plan to?  What do you think of Katie's guess at the premise?  

Did your little darling create a work of art based on a book this week? If so, be sure to link up with Sara over at Forever 17 Books.

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Labels: coraline, cover art, cover redesigns, favorites, from book to screen, judging a book by its cover, katiebug, middle-grade, neil gaiman

Movie Monday #7: Warm Bodies - Movie Review

We all delight in seeing our favorite books brought to life on the big screen.  We cringe at casting.  We scoff at release dates.  All the while, we're gearing up to see if the director's vision lives up to the world we've conceived in our own imaginations.  Sometimes it does...and sometimes it doesn't.  We could lament the movies that don't measure up, or we could return to the books for a re-read, possibly with a slightly different mind-set.  All's fair when it comes to artistic vision, right?




This week, I'd like to feature my review of:

Title: Warm Bodies
Director: Jonathan Levine
Stars: Nicholas Hoult, Teresa Palmer & Dave Franco
Release date: February 1, 2013
Based on: Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion

After a zombie becomes involved with the girlfriend of one of his victims, their romance sets in motion a sequence of events that might transform the entire lifeless world.

So, the hubby and I had a rare date night on Friday night, and I made him take me to see Warm Bodies.  I was really surprised with how empty the theater was, though, especially considering that it was the top grossing movie over the weekend, raking in a cool $20 million.  It was also surprising because it was a perfect date movie:  a sweet romance for the ladies and a bit of blood and gore for the guys.

The movie was every bit as witty and clever as the book.  Honestly, I think they did a fantastic job of bringing this story to life.  The airport full of zombies was exactly what I was picturing while reading, as was the safe haven for the survivors.  And the casting was pretty great, too.  Nicholas Hoult was the perfect R, equal parts awkward and sweet, and I loved seeing R come to life.  (Pun totally intended.)  And, gawd, Rob Corddry was hilarious as M.  I would never even have considered him as an option for that role, but damn if he didn't do it proud.

You know what really struck me about the movie, though?  How very Romeo & Juliet it was.  There were shades of that story in the book, but it didn't seem as obvious as it did in the movie.  Case in point:  our star-crossed lovers are named R and Julie.  Then there's R's zombie friend M...Mercutio, anyone?  And Julie's late boyfriend Perry who taunts R through his memories, making him the equivalent of Paris.  But the real kicker?  The balcony scene.  I'm not sure if it was the author's intent for his story to be a somewhat reimagined version of this classic tale, but either way, it works.

Best of all, my husband really enjoyed the flick, too.  =)  And we saw the trailer for The Mortal Instruments, which I've really been on the fence about due to certain casting, but after seeing the trailer in full, I might have been swayed.  I'm still not feeling that casting choice, but I will reserve judgment until I've seen the movie.

So, have you read Warm Bodies?  Did you see the movie?  How do you think they compare?

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Labels: from book to screen, isaac marion, movie mondays, movie reviews, warm bodies, zombies