movies | Permission to Peruse

Movie Review: The Hunger Games

March 26th, 2012 at 8:21 am / Amy Bennett / 12 Comments »

I loved the Hunger Games books. I devoured them in days if I remember correctly. The writing was great, Katniss was strong and smart and I really enjoyed the strategy and action of the games. Last night I saw the movie and am sad to say I walked out telling my friend I’d be glad to never see that again. Not all was lost though, there were some redeeming qualities. Let me preface this by saying I read this book one time back in 2010. My memory is a little sketchy on the details.

Katniss was spot on. I think she was cast well and really embodied her.
Haymitch was excellent as well. Maybe a little too cleaned up at parts. I imagined him a little nastier but overall attitude was captured.
Gale was completely off for me. I didn’t imagine him so pretty or so tall or, I don’t know. Just off for me.
Costumes were out of control amazing.
Proud of the Carolina mountains! Loved seeing our familiar forests. I mean, not that I go into the forest a lot but you know. if I ever see them, they look like that. And I think I really appreciated it because that’s what I imagined when I read the book.
I appreciated that they included all the important scenes…Katniss on fire, Katniss hitting the apple, the tracker jacker nest, Peeta and Katniss in the cave, Katniss ruining the group’s supplies, cornucopia scene, etc.

But here’s what I didn’t like

For some reason reading the book I think I blocked out a little it was kids killing kids. I didn’t even think much about it until people started making a big deal about it. My first thoughts were what?? That’s not the whole point of the book. The book for me truly focused on Katniss’ survival and her strategy. Yes, there were kids involved but I’m not sure I can explain it but it just didn’t seem so brutal in the book. The movie was not at all graphic or violent but between their focus on the kids being shuffled to check-in and specifically Rue’s death I think it brought attention to something that didn’t have as much attention in the book. All in all, I suppose seeing these kids with faces made it harder for me. And yes, it could be because I have 7 and 9 year old girls and Primrose and Rue were such focal points. But no, it’s not like I was imagining Emma and Lexi going into the games and getting upset. Not like that at all.
Seeing the difference between the Capitol and District 12 was hard, particularly through Katniss’ eyes. If you step back and think about how the book can be an allegory of how our society treats other third world countries, it was really hard to stomach. And yes, I think Suzanne Collins probably wanted that a little. But nevertheless, it made me feel really crappy when she walked in the royal blue train car because I’m a lot more like the one with a chandelier in my bedroom than the one who had a house with dirt floors. So yes, it was hard seeing America cast as The Capitol.
I didn’t remember the kids from District 1 and 2 being so ruthless. Sure, they were trained but were they really that excited about killing Katniss? I don’t know. It’s been awhile since I read the book but I was disturbed. I think I would have been better had they been unemotional killing machines.
I was not expecting the documentary style filming. I really was expecting an action-packed thriller and not what seemed like an emotional roller coaster. I think I just needed less emotion and the style did not help. Plus, I think it made me a little physically ill. I was tired and it was late and I was like, please just be still, camera! I love that style on Friday Night Lights though but FNL is a drama not a thriller.
The ending was not nearly the payoff it needed to be. It was just like oh, let’s eat some berries, Oh no stop you’re the winners. Haha, just kidding! And then just to have them sit on stage and talk about it and the only resolution we saw with Primrose was a wave from the stage? NOT ENOUGH HAPPY. I realize there is more to the story and more coming but not enough good to counter balance all the bad. I think if they’d given a stronger ending, it would have resolved better for me.

All in all, there’s not much about it that I want to see again. I’ve read the book, I’ve seen it play out and it didn’t make me feel good so I just don’t care to see it again.

I realize I’m in the minority. I really do. I had one other person to see it Saturday and she hated it and I was like WHAT? Now that more have seen it, there are still only a handful of us that I’ve heard that didn’t like it. I really, really wanted to like it. I really did. I still love the book and will still recommend it. Just not the movie.

If you saw it, what’d you think? It’s ok to say you loved it, perhaps I’m coming at it from the wrong angle.

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Movie Review: John Carter – GO SEE IT!

March 7th, 2012 at 7:00 am / Amy Bennett / 10 Comments »

This is not a typical movie review for me. Not just a checkmark for a blog post in exchange for free movie tickets. Pretty please read this. There are no spoilers so, read on!

You all know my love for Friday Night Lights, right? I mean, LOVE. If you don’t know my love, you should know I helped create a fan site, ran a podcast and even visited the set in Texas two years ago. Like, serious fandom here. I loved every single character from Friday Night Lights (Texas Forever!) but we all know I geeked out a little for Riggins. I mean, who didn’t love 33? For reals.

Taylor Kitsch’s first movie since FNL is this John Carter (of Mars – which they dropped last minute). I admit, I was REALLY SCARED for 33. Can Riggs really pull off being a super hero in a sci-fi? Am I really even interested in spending 90 minutes (it’s actually 2 hr 10 min) watching aliens on Mars? I’m not a fan of sci-fi. The promos were super sketchy. His voice was altered in some way and there were really weird things showing up on screen. I just was terrified Kitsch’s career was over post-FNL. In fact, I nearly canceled watching the screening because I just was so uninterested in seeing this movie.

But ya’ll. Ya’ll!!!!!!

John Carter was AWESOME.

You know how you watched Avatar and it was a bunch of weird looking people but you really loved all the weird looking people and there was a heart and a cause to the storyline? That’s the closest thing I can come to this story. I also think of Sherlock Holmes where it’s a period piece and the writing is really SMART. (PS Mark Strong from Sherlock Holmes is in the movie.)

First off, I need to say I know nothing about John Carter of Mars from the books. I’m just an uninitiated movie- goer. I went into this thinking it was going to be just an overblown action movie but it turns out this is truly a character story. What they don’t highlight in previews is John Carter’s history on Earth and then the conclusion back on Earth and you see this troubled guy and watch him evolve and by the end of the movie it’s so satisfying you just want to fist pump and clap in glee.

Taylor Kitsch completely blew me away. The days of Riggins are simply a shadow of this actor that showed up in this movie. He delivered lines with confidence, showed emotion like Riggs and had the physicality of a super hero. It wasn’t cheesy at all.

The other characters are amazing. Did you know William Dafoe (Spiderman) was in this? How about Mark Strong (Sherlock Holmes)? Or Thomas Haden Church? The female character played by Lynn Collins (X-Men Origins: Wolverine) was strong and smart and she just knocked my socks off to tell you the truth. I really thought she was just going to simply be eye-candy for the guys but they really played to her intellectual and physical side. And I don’t just mean sexual physical side although she certainly was sexy in the movie and was only half-dressed for the whole thing.

They had this adorable dog-ish character that really lightened the mood. In fact, there were several humorous moments but not enough to take away from the action.

What I love too is that aside from the violence it was a clean movie. Only one swear word I remember and that was just to the dog so he would get out of harm’s way. No sexually overt scenes other than that they were barely dressed but I honestly was not distracted by it. The violence wasn’t even gruesome.

I’m telling you, this really blew me away. I am so pumped for Kitsch and so glad his career is going to sky-rocket after this movie. X-Men was pre-FNL, his movie The Bang, Bang Club certainly didn’t get the coverage he needed but this is going to be his turning point on the big screen. He’s got Battleship with Rihanna, directed by Pete Berg (also directed FNL) next and then Savages with John Travolta after this. He’s going to be a huge movie star. Just don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Do not let the sci-fi-ness of the promos scare you away. I really think they’re playing to the wrong strengths of this movie. If you like a movie with a good storyline, likable characters, a good romance and some serious action, you’re going to love this! Here, I’ll even link you over to Fandango to go get your tickets! Go!

Disclosure: Disney gave me two free tickets in exchange for the blog post. I loved it anyway though and all thoughts are my own. Clearly.

Popularity: 51% [?]

Tags: john carter, movie review, taylor kitsch, william dafoe Comments (10)

John Carter – The Teaser

March 2nd, 2012 at 3:22 pm / Amy Bennett / No Comments »

Let me tell you a story. They say that’s what blog posts are made of.

Last night my sister Heather and I went to a screening of John Carter. The lead actor is Taylor Kitsch aka “Tim Riggins” aka “Riggins” aka “Riggs” aka “33” from Friday Night Lights. I walked in very skeptical of the movie and walked out and told someone named Sarah what I thought of the movie. But then they said I couldn’t tell you what I said to Sarah until next week. So this morning I wrote a very long blog post expounding on what I told Sarah. And then I watched every YouTube video I could find involving the words “John Carter” “interview” and “Taylor Kitsch”. And then, I had absolutely nothing else to blog about except how I watched a movie and had some thoughts about it but couldn’t share them.

The End

Oh, and go ahead watch this trailer. And maybe make plans to go see a movie next weekend. Just sayin’. Or actually, not. I’ll be saying it all next week.

Popularity: 29% [?]

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Breaking Dawn Review

November 26th, 2011 at 9:37 am / Amy Bennett / No Comments »

Twilight and Twilight Merchandise

Heather and I went to see Breaking Dawn last night. To be honest, even though I have been at the midnight showing of every Twilight movie thus far, I was not in a hurry to see it. But a week into the premiere and I was ready to see what all the hype was about.

And I have to say, I LOVED it. I really, really did. In fact, I would happily have sit through another showing right after the first. And here’s what I loved:

Edward. Edward, Edward, Edward. And not really Edward like you think. It’s more Rob. You can tell he has grown as an actor so much. After watching Water for Elephants, I was thinking wouldn’t it be nice for him to actually act well like that in Twilight and wow, he certainly did in this movie. Edward was finally the Edward he was supposed to be. Confident, protective and happy with Bella.
I felt like Kristen finally played Bella well. She was nervous at the wedding and on the honeymoon but not so much she seemed like she was having a nervous breakdown.
The wedding was amazing. The dress was GORGEOUS. The shoes were amazing. The decorations were beautiful. Charlie saying goodbye was heartbreaking.
We didn’t get to see much of the high school kids but they were funny and added just the right touch.
I liked that the other vampires were a part of the story but not the center of attention.
I preferred the honeymoon of the movie to the book. I was always disappointed they didn’t have more in the book. And no, not just the bedroom scene. I loved them playing chess and going on walks. And I loved them in Rio. I loved Edward taking them in the boat to Isle Esme.
I liked that the conflict in this movie was with the pack and not the Voulturi. I loved that Jake was confident and yet still torn about Bella. I loved him standing up to Sam. And him imprinting on Renesmee? SO much better than the book. I like that we got glimpses of the teenage Renesmee instead of picturing him solely imprinting with an infant.
They did a fantastic job of makeup with Kristen while she was pregnant. Wow, she looked amazingly awful. It was just perfect though. You really got the sense of how serious the pregnancy was. And I appreciated the conflict within the family about the baby and how Kristen held tight to what she wanted.
I loved when Edward could finally hear the baby and saw that she was pure and wonderful and not the awful creature he was imagining.
The birth scene was, well, the birth scene. I don’t know of any birth scenes real or fake that are particularly pretty to watch. I liked that the movie stayed true to the book but we didn’t ever have to see anything beyond Bella’s face. They seriously could have made that scene disgusting but I really don’t feel like it did. And how beautiful is Renesmee?
I’ll preface this point in saying I don’t care for vampires. I don’t read or watch this movie for that part of the story. For me, and a lot of people, this story is about the love of two individuals that live in a world of different rules. You could leave out the vampire stuff and I’d be happy. BUT. A lot of the book is Bella wanting to be a vampire so she can live with Edward forever. It’s not the actual vampire stuff she’s after, it’s the forever part. So when she turned at the end, well, it was just EXCITING. She was beautiful and everyone was just waiting. I’m not excited that she’s a vampire, per se. But I am excited she’s now like Edward and they can be together forever. Yes, it’s that cheesy.

So yes, count me in, I’ll be watching this one more than once. I’m just so happy this series keeps getting better and better and simply cannot wait until Part 2.

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Top Ten Tuesday: Introducing Four Stones

September 6th, 2011 at 12:16 pm / Amy Bennett / 1 Comment »

I attended a Creatives Meet-up this summer when Ben Arment and Sarah Cunningham came through Charlotte. Ben and Sarah are part of STORY. It’s a creatives movement in the Christian space. At the meet-up they spent a lot of time talking about movies and while I love a good movie, I’m not really the techy-movie-geek-behind-the-scenes type. A lot of it went over my head. But as I’ve left there I realized what a huge (and awesome!) project they were launching. 1,000 Premieres is an attempt to finance a movie retelling David and Goliath in a fresh, current way. Think of this as a David and Goliath version of 300. No bad actors or corny visuals here. Here are 10 things you need to know:

The movie is called Four Stones
The rating is expected to be PG-13 for the battle scenes
The movie will NOT be launched in theaters.
The movie will be financed by churches and individuals that buy the right to be a viewing host. They are hoping to have 1,000 sites by January to get to $2 million so the film can be filmed next year. The more money they get, the better this movie will be.
If you host, you will get a DVD or link to a live-stream the weekend of October 12-14, 2012.
Here are the costs for the viewing sites:

Large Event (200+) – $999
Mid-Size (100 to 199) – $699
Group Event (50 to 99) – 349
Small Group (14 to 49) – $199
Living Room (1 to 14) – $99

They are working on International Subtitles
Here is the link for the promo: https://onethousandpremieres.com/watch-promo
I hear The Rock is going to play Goliath
I hear Taylor Lautner is going to play David

What else do you need to know??
For you church-folk, get your church on board! If they aren’t interested, you just need 14 of your friends to pay a $7 ticket and you could view this in your own living room with them. Or heck, fork out the $99, pop some popcorn and give 14 of your friends a fantastic movie night. This is going to be awesome!!

This post is linked to ohAmanda’s Top Ten Tuesday

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Review: Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

May 18th, 2011 at 7:49 am / Amy Bennett / 1 Comment »

Last night I had the pleasure of attending a pre-screening of the Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. I’ve attended similar pre-screenings before but this time we were press! I have to say I smiled inside a little when we went straight to our reserved seats in an otherwise packed house where some had admitted to standing in line since 4pm! Thank you, Disney! AND I didn’t realize it at first but we sat right in front of local radio celebrity Paul Schad (in the morning). Charlotte folks, can you say his name without saying the rest?? I realized after he helped me get my stubborn arm rest down that I recognized his voice way before I saw his face. Also fun? Seeing his co-host Meg show up a few minutes later.

And while we’re speaking of local celebrity, I got to meet Sarah Pinnix! Sarah and I have been online friends for a while. She even jumped on Sisterhood of the Traveling Belt last fall and made an awesome video during her turn at Blissdom. Anyway, all that to say there were no introductions as soon as we spotted each other, just a big hug, lots of chatter and of course, a picture.

I also got to meet a few other bloggers while were there. So great to meet some other local bloggers. Check out @maricrisg, @sweetsadiemarie.

Ok, ok, yes, there’s a movie review in here somewhere!

Just going to be honest and say I went into this knowing that the last few Pirates of the Caribbean had not lived up to the original for me. I was quite the skeptic. But I have to say, this is a must-see-in-theaters installment of Pirates of the Caribbean. Jack Sparrow was charming as ever. I enjoyed every single new cast member as well as how they used some familiar faces. It was a strong, interesting storyline. In fact, I’ve been debating whether or not I enjoyed it more than the first.

That’s the short version. For those of you who are going to see it, come back here after you see it and let’s compare notes or if you don’t mind spoilers, keep reading!

I thought Penelope Cruz was a perfect match for Johnny Depp. I enjoyed her with him more than Keira. While tenuous, it was good to see some more of his history. I loved that she matched his deception and lies and even he was impressed with her pirating ways. I enjoyed the chemistry they had while at the same time not turning Jack Sparrow into a softie. Hey, I enjoy my softies but that’s not Jack Sparrow! One of my favorite scenes his him describing his “stirrings”.

I loved the action-packed scenes. While hard to believe most of the time, it’s still always interesting to see how Jack gets himself out of situations. The tree scene was probably the least likable while the scene with King George was so entertaining.

I love, love that they put Barbossa as one of the King’s men. Did you not love King George?? I love that they ended up having Barbossa and Jack nearly working together. They are a perfect match of pirates. Although I still liked that Barbossa had his own agenda and parted ways with Jack at the end.

I loved the missionary they introduced Philliip. I think he was able to keep the movie grounded as much as possible in a pirate movie. There was a good good vs.evil storyline with him. It really gave you someone to root for besides Jack.

The mermaids! Those were some scary mermaids. In fact, the only part that I felt uncomfortable in was that. They were almost a mermaid/vampire combo and it was just…ugh. I’m glad they really only lasted that one scene, unlike the Kraken and zombies we were introduced to in previous films.

And to combine the last two points, I super-duper loved the Phillip/Syrena storyline. They fill the spots of Will and Elizabeth with perfection and I just loved how their storyline played out.

I think most of all I liked that this was just straight-up pirating. There weren’t too many mystical characters or plot points. Just a few great pirates fighting over a good ‘ol fountain of youth.

In summary, great, great movie. Like I said, probably the strongest out of the four. I’d pick up some tickets and a babysitter now for the weekend!

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Movie Review: Tangled

November 27th, 2010 at 1:31 pm / Amy Bennett / 3 Comments »

Here’s the short version: GO SEE THIS MOVIE!

I felt like the movie deserved a review since I lambasted Princess and the Frog for all the eeevil. Tangled deserves a review for how GOOD it was. I would definitely put this up there with my favorites, Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin. I’m not sure I’m ready to call it my favorite but, yes, this one I can get behind. What I loved:

Flynn. Ah, Flynn. Flynn is voiced by Zachary Levi, better known as NBC’s Chuck. It is a show that is quickly becoming a favorite as I work through the DVD’s. He is a crazy talented guy. Actor, singer, comedian and Christian to boot. Having him voice Flynn added a layer that my kids couldn’t appreciate but my Chuck friends and I couldn’t ignore. Flynn was over the top full of himself, clever, caring and funny. And his character shifted from fully self-focused thief to caring prince. LOVE when characters can grow, even in an animated movie.
The faux-dog horse was a fantastic comedic element to the movie. One that had Scott guffawing in the theater. Trust me, that’s a big deal. The scene between Flynn and the horse pushing each other on the bridge into town still makes me laugh when I think of it.
I’m torn on this but I think I like that Flynn’s relationship with the horse was more touted than him and Rapunzel’s. While I was always rooting for more Flynn and Flynn/Rapunzel, I think it was more appropriate for the kids this way. The romance was there but it wasn’t over the top. I thought it was pretty smart and amusing of Disney to be self-aware that it was a fairytale and ending by saying we lived happily ever after.
Rapunzel was a wonderful princess. I loved how innocent, caring and selfless she was. She was respectful to her mother (even though she didn’t deserve it) and was willing to lay down her life for Flynn. She was creative and talented. And yet, she did disobey her mother. BUT I loved how torn she was about it (one of the best scenes) and how much trouble she got into because of that decision. Also, through that she was able to uncover her mother’s true identity and follow her heart to her parents. She also grew, out of innocence and naivity, opening her eyes to the truth and sticking up for herself.
The chameleon was also very funny but also supportive of Rapunzel as her only friend. He reminded me of the Meeko and Flit in Pocohantas.
So there was evil and magic in this movie. So what’s the difference? The mother was selfish, greedy, worried about her looks and kidnapped Rapunzel. All which was looked down upon and eventually led to her death. These are real struggles that I’m happy to talk to my kids about. Very appropriate for little princesses. The only scene that seemed to bother Lexi was when the mother died. She said it was sad. And it’s true, no matter anyone’s condition it is sad to see them die. But in the context of the movie, I can say, yes, but that’s where all her bad decisions led her. Also, I liked that Rapunzel’s magical hair was used for healing and not evil.

Overall, even though this was an old story, the storyline felt new and unique and special. Great pacing and turns in the movie. Action-packed and yet full of heart and comedy.

Have you seen it yet? What’d you think?

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Eclipse Review

June 30th, 2010 at 9:41 pm / Amy Bennett / No Comments »

OK, gut reaction while watching the first half of the movie: This is boring. I wonder if there’s somewhere I can lay down.

Gut reaction while watching the second half of the movie: OK, now I don’t have to completely slam the movie.

Gut reaction while walking out of the movie: That was a dumb movie. Can I see Jacob again?

Ok, yes, maybe because I’m sick but ya’ll, that was disappointing. Yes, there were many redemptive qualities but it completely missed the mark of setting up any kind storyline between Edward/Bella/Jacob. Any kind of work New Moon did to establish the connection between Jacob and Bella was completely obliterated. For the first half of the movie, you wouldn’t have even known any of New Moon existed. Bella seemed to have made up her mind. It wasn’t until the kiss after the tent scene that there was any connection between them.

I guess I just felt like they stuck a bunch of our favorite scenes and put them together. I mean, the Florida trip was completely forgettable and pointless. Why even have that?

However, there was some really, really good stuff.

Taylor Lautner. Wow. Can I get a couple screenshots of that please?
I enjoyed Edward so much more in this movie. He actually smiled and I felt like Edward really loved Bella in a normal, non-stalkerish non-Ihatemylife kind of way. Rob really was Edward in this movie for me.
The meadow scenes were fantastic
The bedroom scene at Edward’s was great. I particularly awed over the proposal. Hello, ring!
I gladly give major props to Jackson Rathbone finally. He nailed Jasper this time and I really enjoyed him.
Ditto for Rosalie.
The guy that played Riley and the girl that played, well, the girl that they saved were spot on. Loved them.
Tent scene was my most anticipated scene and it did not disappoint. It delivered my favorite line of the movie, “I’m hotter than you.” Fantastic line. I also enjoyed the discussion between Edward and Jacob instead of all glares or threats.

As you can see, there are many things I did like about the movie but I just don’t think it holds together as a movie very well.

For those that have seen it, what’d you think?

Popularity: unranked [?]

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The Princess and the Frog Review: Disney You Went Too Far

December 11th, 2009 at 10:39 pm / Amy Bennett / 24 Comments »

I’m unapologetically on a soap box for this one.

Do you know how much I wanted to love this movie? Really love it and not just for my kids sake but for mine? I LOVE Beauty and the Beast. I LOVE Aladdin. I LOVE Little Mermaid. I still have the Pocahontas cup I collected from Burger King round about 1993. I’ve been glad to watch Beauty and the Beast 25 times straight with my girls and happy to take them to the play at Disney. I wanted so much to like it. I wanted so much for my girls to love it. I loved that they are old enough to remember opening night and I wanted so much for them to buy the movie on DVD and watch it over and over. But on the way home I declared to my girls I was sorry but we would not be buying it. I’m feeling disappointed and let-down by Disney. And here’s why…

Here’s the thing you have to understand. I’m conservative but I get the fact that there is good guy/bad guy thing in Disney movies. Ursula always kind of scared me but it’s easy to explain she’s just mean and octopuses aren’t really like that and it’s all fake. Jafar always was just kind of stuffy to me. Gaston was just full of himself and rude. Even the witch in Cinderella can easily be explained away because there just aren’t witches like that for real. But the bad guy in this movie? Was just a guy and he was downright evil. And I do mean EEEEVIILLL. My problem with this movie boils down to the fact that the evil was just too evil. I’ll have to give you some background of the movie to understand but bear with me I don’t think I give away any huge spoilers.

The movie takes place in New Orleans. The prince from another country has been cut off from his family and has come to America to live the good life. Tiana is simply the daughter of hardworking parents with a dream to own a restaurant. The prince is taken in by the bad guy in the movie Dr. Facilier down an alley into wait for it…a VooDoo shop . The entire scene is standard Disney where the bad guy gets his scene/song. Dr. Facilier reads the prince’s tarot cards and paints this grand picture of what his life could be like if he’d just make a deal with him. The prince, still greedy and wanting to live the high life again, agrees. The doctor then uses voo doo on him which is what eventually turns him into a frog. It may not sound too bad on paper but you don’t just get the idea of voo doo..the words are literally written on the walls and it’s mentioned a few times by the doctor and the tarot card readings are the center of attention of the scene. Emma closed her eyes on her own because the scene was so scary. It just dripped with evil. That’s really the only way I can explain it. My sister Heather was there and I looked at her at the end, feeling very uncomfortable and said I didn’t like that..she mouthed Me either!

The movie went on and I have to say the good parts were good. But intertwined were these scenes with the doctor that made me very uncomfortable and to me were unnecessary. At one part, they go see Mama Odie, another voo doo doctor in the bayou who has a good message to them and refuses to turn them back to humans so they can “dig a little deeper” and find what they NEED (he needs love, not money and she needs someone to share all her hard work with) and not what they want. But in the midst, she is using basically witchcraft to look into the future to see what that might be that they need. So even the person pointing them towards good is using witchcraft to do so.

At one point, Dr. Facilier needs reinforcements and goes to see some sort of almighty evil voo doo mask and agrees to hand over all the souls of New Orleans for them to torture if he’ll just release some more demons to help him find the prince. They agree and these evil spirits are running rampant to find the frog.

And at the end, Dr. Facilier actually has a voo doo doll of the man he’s trying to harm and has a needle, getting ready to stick the voo doo doll.

All of it was just TOO MUCH. I did not feel good about the fact that I had to walk out of a DISNEY movie, a CHILD”S Disney movie and even THINK about voo doo and tarot cards. It was very unnecessary and disappointing that Disney felt the need to tie those themes in so heavily to the movie.

I GET that my kids are just kids. I GET that that gave me the opportunity to talk about these things that I feel are evil. I GET that my girls aren’t going to run out and start witchcraft. I GET that the voo doo and tarot cards were something that they BAD GUYS were doing. But when kids watch something over and over, those things become comfortable and familiar and honestly, I just don’t think it was appropriate for them to be learning about them at their age from a Disney movie.

All that said, I don’t want to totally bash the movie. There are many redeeming qualities about it. They were very clear through Tiana that hard work and love and family are important. It was clear that how you look doesn’t mean as much as who you are on the inside. The movie was very funny in parts, sweet in parts and just plain beautiful in parts. Tiana, in fact, is the one that ended up smashing the voo doo necklace and saying “it’s not right”. I applaud them for that. I really do. But again, why should a Disney princess be fighting against a voo doo doctor to begin with? I think I would have even been ok with a “generic witch” casting a “generic spell” on them to turn them to frogs.

As a conservative parent, I feel it’s necessary to tell parents to proceed with caution. You may not feel that it’s necessary to talk about to your kids about it but I did. Even as an adult, one that loves books about vampires and werewolves and even one that loves other Disney movies I was UNCOMFORTABLE watching it and I honestly don’t plan to see it again. Which is a shame. Because Tiana is a lovely princess and the moral lessons are worthy. Walking away though, I just can’t seem to wipe the uneasiness from my gut. I just can’t.

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Twilight Saga: Vampire Violence – Please explain

November 20th, 2009 at 2:41 pm / Amy Bennett / 8 Comments »

Heather and I were discussing this at 2:30am on the way home from the midnight showing….can someone please explain this reaction by a vampire when there is a threat? Why the claw? Don’t vampires BITE? Shouldn’t he be baring teeth or something? The only thing I could think is there getting ready to grab someone to bite them.

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New Moon – Favorite Details

November 20th, 2009 at 1:19 pm / Amy Bennett / 3 Comments »

Ok, yeah, I had to go back and make a list of all my favorite “little things” from the movie.

Edward quoting Romeo and Juliet
Jacob speaking Quileute to Bella. Oh my! I think that might have been my favorite line and I don’t even know what he said!! Someone tell me! I read somewhere Taylor is not telling anyone and there are only 4 people in the world that still speak Quileute. I hope we get a translation soon!
The end! I can’t believe they ended with Marry Me
Emmett’s comment to Edward about him dating an older woman
Eric crying during Romeo and Juliet
Mike telling Jacob and Bella he needed to go home
Alice saying I’ll be back when you put the dog out
Mike telling Bella she needed to put a little protein in there
Bella telling Edward to shut up
Edward saying you can’t trust vampires…trust me
Jacob crying in the final scene
Loved that they kept the months just after Edward left in

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New Moon Review

November 20th, 2009 at 10:23 am / Amy Bennett / 5 Comments »

The short version? New Moon was fantastic. It blew Twilight out of the water 100 times over.

The long version.

What I liked:

Chris stayed so close to the book. That by far is my favorite adaptation I’ve ever seen. He took all the best scenes in New Moon and then made any other subplots work around it. I recognized so much of the dialogue from the book and then there was other stuff that just made it better.
The movie was so rich. So nice to have that blue tint gone.
The acting was better. I was a little worried that the stuttering manic Kristen we saw at the end of Twilight would be all we saw of her this movie but I was wrong. She did a fantastic job. And all the supporting actors were fantastic as well. I was also a little worried about the werewolves but I felt like their acting was authentic. Even Quil and Embry were funny. Even Emily’s small part was great. And Harry! He was funny.
Charlie was amazing. He’s so funny and real.
The makeup and hair was so much better. I am in love with Victoria’s red curls!
I loved that the setting was the same. I guess I thought for some reason that her room might be different or the school or something. I don’t know. Even with all the changes, a lot of it still felt like Twilight, which was nice.
Edward’s sparkling was SO much better. I loved that one scene when they were taking them to see the Volturi and you got one small glimpse of his shoulder in the sun. I really felt like he glittered!
The cliff diving. So much more authentic than I thought it was going to be.
Bella learning to ride the bike. Loved that Jake still had a sense of humor.
The volturi. Especially Aro. He nailed his character. The fight scene was cringeworthy and even as an addition, was perfect.
The werewolves. They were AMAZING. Really. So, so, so realistic. I loved the color of Jacob. It was so perfect. And the way they fought. Everything. It was just how I imagined and even better.
Edward smiled! It was so good to see him and Bella happy. I know he’s a tortured soul and all but in the book he IS happy.
In fact, I loved all of the Edward/Bella interaction. I felt like we got to see Edward’s devotion to Bella, not just Bella’s.
JACOB!!!! Taylor Lautner KILLED this movie. Yes, he looked um, great (17, 17, 17) but his portrayal of Jacob was just amazing. Huge kudos to him. I loved the scene in the kitchen when they almost kiss. It nearly tore my heart out when Kristen chose Edward. Seriously, that tore me up much more than when Edward left Bella. I knew Edward was lying. But Bella? She means it. She’d pick Edward over Jacob any day and wow, Jacob loves her so much. And I love that Bella says she loves him but it’s just not enough and it broke my heart!

What I didn’t like:

First and foremost, the worst part of the movie was the stupid scene when Aro reads Alice’s mind and sees Edward and Bella running through the forest. Seriously? That’s how she knows Bella is a vampire? Dumb, dumb, dumb.
Makeup was a *little* sketchy. At one time I saw Edward’s hand looked a little dusty. Also the Volturi makeup was a tad weird for me.
Not a huge fan of the music placement. Seemed like good songs on their own but not entirely crazy about them in the movie.
The elevator ride to the Volturi. The music was really weird here, it was unnecessary screen time and it felt more like a ride down to the Spa.
I have to admit the kissing between Edward and Bella seemed a little awkward. Maybe that’s the point. Maybe Edward can never truly relax around Bella. But compared to Bella and Jacob? Sorry, don’t care for much screentime of them kissing. Boo.
Jasper still seemed odd in this movie.
Alice’s scarf and outfit in Italy was weird.

The things I didn’t like were very, very nitpicky. I just felt like Chris did an AMAZING job at sticking with the book. In fact, I would almost say that I liked this as much or even more than New Moon. Then again, it was my least favorite of the 4 so possibly some things that didn’t translate well on paper went over much better visually. I don’t know. All I can say is I’m extremely happy with the movie. I wish I could write down what I loved about every single scene and all the quotes that were so funny and moving. Maybe I’ll continue to do some posts about it just to get it out of system. In the meantime, I’m trying to figure out when to get back to the theater to see it again!

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The Proposal

June 22nd, 2009 at 8:56 am / Amy Bennett / 4 Comments »

I remember months ago being in the theater and seeing previews for The Proposal (Let me just throw in here we saw the preview for New Moon!). Always a Sandra Bullock fan (well, almost always), I knew it was going to be a must-see. Throw in some Ryan Reynolds and well, it’s no surprise I jumped at Jill’s invitation to go Saturday night on opening weekend.

I was expecting cute. And a little funny. Maybe You’ve Got Mail kind of funny. Something to make you smile once in a while. But ya’ll. This movie was SO FUNNY. I know it looked like I’d been crying for the past two hours when I walked out of the theater. And I guess I had because I laughed so hard so many times I was crying. And clapping. It was that kind of funny.

Sandra tends to play characters that are a little clumsy. She’s good at the physical comedy. In the movie she was supposed to be playing uber successful, snotty, domineering Book Editor in Chief (?). In one scene, she has to get up from a kneeling position with 4″ heels and Sandra made it funny. And maybe not quite how that character would have done it but it was still funny. So, yeah, I’m not sure if she hangs on to the character 100% the whole time but then again, her character does make a bit of transformation and her clumsy and off-the-wall antics are the only thing that make you like her outside of her general attitude.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen Ryan Reynolds in anything except for Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. But let me tell you, the guy is FUNNY. He delivered his sarcastic lines to perfection. Loved the line with the dog in the bathroom and also “Hence, the boat.” With the romance? Eh, not sure he’s a Richard Gere but he sure is pretty to look at and did I mention funny?

Betty White completed this movie and made it fabulous. Everyone know the caliber of actress she is. In this movie, she played a quirky but heartfelt 90 year old grandmother of Ryan’s character. And man, was she great. And funny of course.

This movie is a definite must-see. It’s going down as one of my favorite romantic comedies ever. And for those that haven’t seen the preview, here ya go. And the best part? That’s not all the funny parts.

Even better? Here are some outtakes!

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17 Again Movie Review

April 19th, 2009 at 8:34 pm / Amy Bennett / 4 Comments »

I’ve tried to give this review a little time. I really don’t want every other sentence to be Zac Efron is so HOT. But I’m still thinking it could turn out that way. Let me try to hold back and get a decent review out.

Heather gushed about the screening last Monday and the ever dependent movie critic, she was right. I was gushing about it as soon as the credits were rolling. And no, not just about how hot Zac Efron is.

The movie basically is about a guy named Mike who gets his girlfriend pregnant in high school, gives up a basketball career to raise a family and grows to resent his wife. Twenty years later they’re divorcing and he wishes he could do it all over again. He gets his wish and is put back in his 17 year old body. He thinks he’s been given his chance to be 17 again only to learn he was sent back to save his family. His older daughter is dating the uber popular but bully basketball star while his younger son is the recipient of his bullying. He poses as the new guy in school and helps them through their troubles as their new friend. And not to mention he wins his wife back in the process.

Well, let me tell you. It sounds a little campy but it was a fantastic movie. Here are my thoughts:

Zac (yes, because we’re on a first name basis) said in an interview that this was a transitional movie for him and I couldn’t agree more. At 17 he is a popular, confident basketball player that apparently can dance too. And yes, he does even get out on the basketball floor and does a dance with the cheerleaders. Sound familiar? But then you see him playing a 37 year old the rest of the movie and he honest to goodness was believable.
His best friend played by Thomas Lennon (I Love You, Man; Hancock; Reno 911!) was absolutely hilarious. Him and Zac were a great comedic pairing. The “You look like Clay Aiken” line was one of my favorites. And paired up with Melora Hardin (Jan from The Office) was gold.
Zac’s character Mike being 17 Again and in his family’s life made for some well, interesting dynamics. On the one hand, he’s fighting for his daughter telling her how much more she’s worth than her current boyfriend and she ends up falling for Mike. You were plastered to the back of your chair at times when the two of them were together going “Ewwwww!” Which was odd because there is Zac, hot guy himself, with a beautiful teenage girl and you’d think they would be the two you’d be rooting for but you can imagine how awkward those scenes were. And then there is Mike with his wife. Except now he’s 17 again and he looks JUST LIKE he did when he was 17. His wife is automatically drawn to him and in one scene they end up dancing and almost kissing. On one hand you’re rooting for them because he’s winning his wife back but part of you is weirded out because she’s 20 years older than him. And then ANOTHER part of you is cheering because OMG Zac is with someone 20 years older than him. RAWR, where’s my cougars at??

All that to say, it’s a funny, heart-warming, clean movie that you should go see!

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Review: Bedtime Stories

January 6th, 2009 at 11:17 pm / Amy Bennett / 1 Comment »

As part of our free movie tickets, Heather and I took the girls to go watch Bedtime Stories tonight. We really wanted to see Tale of Despereaux and thought for sure that Bedtime Stories would be a little hokey. After seeing the raining gumballs, I thought it would be a fantastical tale that only the kids would enjoy. But let me tell you, we were pleasantly surprised. We had the entire theater to ourselves and Heather and I found ourselves laughing. Really Loud. A lot.

I would skip this part if you don’t want completely spoiled. Basically Adam Sandler’s character has to watch his niece and nephew for a week. Each night they come up with a bedtime story and the next day, the stuff that the kids come up with come true the next day. But not literally. For example, in the story, it rains gumballs. The next day, it appears to start raining in his truck through the sunroof but it’s actually a candy truck that has wrecked on the bridge above them spilling the gumballs. All of it is stuff like that.

Adam Sandler was hilarious as usual. But it wasn’t TOO much Adam you know? Big Daddy almost crossed the line for me a few times but in this, he was funny without being inappropriate with the kids.

Keri Russell was a huge surprise. I have always been a huge fan of Keri’s and I didn’t know she was in it. I’m not sure I would have thought to cast her but she fit the role perfectly and did really, really well.

The one actor I really enjoyed though was Russell Brand. I found him funny but slightly annoying in both Forgetting Sarah Marshall and the MTV Movie Awards. But here, he was a great compliment to Adam and we laughed more over the stuff he said than anything else.

The greatest part is the funniest parts are NOT in the trailer. Loved that. Emma and Lexi declared it a winner as well. Emma says she “loved it”.

Here’s the trailer in case you haven’t seen it.