http://staticmultimedia.com/blu-ray-dvd/i-am-finds-peace
While, at first look, I Am may seem like a rehashed knock-off of the controversial book The Shack, the film contains little to incite controversy. God takes on the form of an African American man in casual clothes in the film. However, His conversations with the characters of the film seem more like the quiet conversations, pleas and prayers of the heart than like face-to-face, God intervening encounters. The conversations feel like what’s presented in Romans 2:15: “They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them at other times even defending them.”
The true heart of I Am lies in the Ten Commandments, however, as the commandments are shown on the screen throughout the movie as different characters encounter the consequences of their actions taken against the commandments. Some such actions take the form of odd, unexpected sins. One woman, for example, puts “other gods before me” when she has herself frozen in order to keep herself alive. The man who freezes her after she blackmails him has visions of the woman taunting him, tempting him to kill her, and, thus, he creates a “graven image.”
Other applications of the commandments are refreshingly different. Instead of focusing on the common conception of God forbidding the use of his name as a swear word, the film shows a man using God’s name to sell a product, or “taking God’s name in vain.” Another character learns to honor the Sabbath, not by setting aside a day every week for God and church, but by taking time to rest from work and life’s troubles to spend time on the things that really matter, such as being with his family.
These situations are part of a larger plot as other commandments like the commandment to not commit adultery come into play and as the lives of the ten main characters intertwine. There’s no one consistent plot to follow, and the different stories can confuse the viewer because of the way they are organized, but the pieces come together in the end to complete a puzzle that makes viewers think about their own lives.
Ultimately, I Am is not about preaching a bunch of rules and stuffing them in the viewer’s face. Instead, it is about finding peace in life. Revenge, human love, science, alcohol, memorialization of a passed loved one and everything else can never erase the past. As the God in the film says, the past can find justice, but man can never forget. What man truly needs is peace.
Showing posts with label Static Multimedia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Static Multimedia. Show all posts
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Monday, July 26, 2010
Review: The Last Station DVD
http://www.staticmultimedia.com/film/reviews/the_last_stationA striking film that deserves far more recognition than what award shows have given it, The Last Station combines a strong story with even stronger actors. Focusing on the last year of Russian author Leo Tolstoy’s life, Station becomes a character study, a study of life and human value, as Tolstoy, his followers, and his wife struggle to reconcile the ideal values of the Tolstoyan movement.
Vladimir Chertkov (Paul Giamatti) claims to care deeply about his dear friend, Tolstoy, but quickly puts the importance of the Movement and his own ideas above the importance of Tolstoy’s original ideas. His concerns take the form a will that Tolstoy (Christopher Plummer) must sign that would leave his works to the Russian people as public domain, thus spreading Tolstoyan ideas to the farthest reach. Meanwhile, Countess Sofya Tolstaya (Helen Mirren), Tolstoy’s wife, realizes the will could take away her children’s inheritance, a fact that launches her and her husband into an escalated love-hate relationship. As Sofya makes her disappointment in the will more evident, Chertkov sends Valentin Fedorovich Bulgakov (James McAvoy) to keep a check on the countess. Bulgakov begins to have his own doubts in the movement, however, as he befriends the countess and falls in love with a local named Masha (Kerry Condon). Such a forbidden relationship leads to a realization of an imperfect human nature and of the need that all people have: love.
While the elongated plot and many characters make for a slow moving film, the depth of characters and their stories make the film worth watching. The actors stay in their elements throughout, resulting in a captivating movie that could be made boring by it’s slow pace.
Mirren steals the screen with her constant emotional roller-coaster as the countess. She smashes plates and screams at everyone around her, but soon rolls into moments of silence, contemplation, and love.
Plummer becomes Tolstoy, portraying Tolstoy’s confusion at the world around him, a confusion that many people face as they draw to their final years. Plummer invites viewers into the world of his character and leaves them thinking.
Giamatti’s character resembles many of his past roles in films like The Illusionist, but he continues to play the manipulative, yet relatable character with perfection, a character with an agenda, yet simultaneously shaped by the world around him.
McAvoy continues to look as good as ever. Perhaps that’s why a movie that could have made its themes just as clear without explicit sex scenes had to go for an R rating. The two scenes that include nudity contribute to the clashing definitions of love presented in the film, but the extreme extent to which the scenes are portrayed take an unnecessary road that may ruin the movie for some viewers.
The thought-provoking material presented, however, does not fail to move the viewer, even with its Communist background. And with such strong actors as Mirren, Plummer, Giammati and McAvoy, to carry the film’s themes, The Last Station cannot fail to captivate.
Preview: Charlie St. Cloud
http://www.staticmultimedia.com/film/features/charlie_st._cloud_preview
All things good come to those who wait, and teenage heartthrob Zac Efron has a lot of good to deliver to his fans in his latest movie, Charlie St. Cloud. The romantic drama follows the title character (played by Efron) after he survives an accident that allows him to see life in a new and unique way.
“It was interesting to step into Charlie’s shoes and play a guy who’s down on his luck, who feels numb and doesn’t think he has much to live for,” Zefron said. “I tend to play characters who are more energetic, full of life and dance a lot. But Charlie is very different. The role was a 180-degree change, and that was extremely exciting.”
Son of a single mother (Kim Basinger) and older brother of a boy named Sam (Charlie Tahan), Cloud is on his way to success with a scholarship from Stanford. When tragedy takes his brother Sam away, an unfulfilled promise to never leave his brother haunts Cloud and leads him to leave behind his dreams and becomes a caretaker at the cemetery where Sam is buried, the same cemetery where he plays baseball with his visions of Sam every evening before sunset.
When unexpected love comes his way, however, Cloud finds himself torn, especially since the woman he loves is about to leave town on a sailing voyage around the world. Is it a twist of fate that has brought her into his life now, when she only has a week until she leaves? Just as Sam helps Charlie to find the courage to let go of the past for good and pursue the girl he loves, he discovers the soul most worth saving is his own.
Efron reunites with director Burr Steers (17 Again) for this stunning drama based on Ben Sherwood’s critically acclaimed 2004 book “The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud.” The novelist crafted the novel after a deep loss of his own.
“The book came from two very personal places,” Sherwood said. “First, the sudden and unexpected loss of my father and the accompanying feelings of profound sadness and being frozen in place and not even realizing how much of an impact that grief can have on one’s life. Second, the liberating, transformative power of love—the way in which love can unlock so many things and give you the strength and motivation to move forward with your life.”
As producer Marc Platt looked for a performer to play the lost young man, Platt knew he “wanted to find someone with the humanity and charisma that this character possesses, but who wouldn’t be dour and sorrowful.”
Platt said Efron met the criteria needed for an actor to play such an emotionally complicated character, and noted that it was Efon’s maturity that first struck him as unique and worthy.
Zefron, who has a younger brother, himself, said he felt a connection to the story when he first read script.
“There was a familiarity, a lot that I could relate to and a lot that I recognized in Charlie,” Zefron said. “I thought Charlie’s relationship with Sam was real and honest, and I admired the qualities that I saw in him. I thought they were very heroic.”
Filmed on location in British Columbia, Charlie St. Cloud provides not only a heroic, captivating story, but a captivating setting as well. Much of the film takes place on the water, where Cloud races his sail boat. After his brother’s death, Cloud stops sailing, but the winds keep blowing, and change may bring about a new day when Cloud can sail once again.
All things good come to those who wait, and teenage heartthrob Zac Efron has a lot of good to deliver to his fans in his latest movie, Charlie St. Cloud. The romantic drama follows the title character (played by Efron) after he survives an accident that allows him to see life in a new and unique way.
“It was interesting to step into Charlie’s shoes and play a guy who’s down on his luck, who feels numb and doesn’t think he has much to live for,” Zefron said. “I tend to play characters who are more energetic, full of life and dance a lot. But Charlie is very different. The role was a 180-degree change, and that was extremely exciting.”
Son of a single mother (Kim Basinger) and older brother of a boy named Sam (Charlie Tahan), Cloud is on his way to success with a scholarship from Stanford. When tragedy takes his brother Sam away, an unfulfilled promise to never leave his brother haunts Cloud and leads him to leave behind his dreams and becomes a caretaker at the cemetery where Sam is buried, the same cemetery where he plays baseball with his visions of Sam every evening before sunset.
When unexpected love comes his way, however, Cloud finds himself torn, especially since the woman he loves is about to leave town on a sailing voyage around the world. Is it a twist of fate that has brought her into his life now, when she only has a week until she leaves? Just as Sam helps Charlie to find the courage to let go of the past for good and pursue the girl he loves, he discovers the soul most worth saving is his own.
Efron reunites with director Burr Steers (17 Again) for this stunning drama based on Ben Sherwood’s critically acclaimed 2004 book “The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud.” The novelist crafted the novel after a deep loss of his own.
“The book came from two very personal places,” Sherwood said. “First, the sudden and unexpected loss of my father and the accompanying feelings of profound sadness and being frozen in place and not even realizing how much of an impact that grief can have on one’s life. Second, the liberating, transformative power of love—the way in which love can unlock so many things and give you the strength and motivation to move forward with your life.”
As producer Marc Platt looked for a performer to play the lost young man, Platt knew he “wanted to find someone with the humanity and charisma that this character possesses, but who wouldn’t be dour and sorrowful.”
Platt said Efron met the criteria needed for an actor to play such an emotionally complicated character, and noted that it was Efon’s maturity that first struck him as unique and worthy.
Zefron, who has a younger brother, himself, said he felt a connection to the story when he first read script.
“There was a familiarity, a lot that I could relate to and a lot that I recognized in Charlie,” Zefron said. “I thought Charlie’s relationship with Sam was real and honest, and I admired the qualities that I saw in him. I thought they were very heroic.”
Filmed on location in British Columbia, Charlie St. Cloud provides not only a heroic, captivating story, but a captivating setting as well. Much of the film takes place on the water, where Cloud races his sail boat. After his brother’s death, Cloud stops sailing, but the winds keep blowing, and change may bring about a new day when Cloud can sail once again.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Movie Review: Percy Jackson and the Olympians
http://chimes.biola.edu/content/article/2010/feb/17/percy-jackson-falls-short-mt-olympus-heights/
http://www.staticmultimedia.com/film/reviews/percy_jackson_and_the_olympians~_the_lightning_thief
“Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief” reaches for the heights of Mount Olympus, but only makes it as far as the great mountain’s entrance gates.
While the mythological story accomplishes enough to make a sequel likely, it ultimately takes its place as just another film in the long line of children's books adapted for the big screen.
Unlike its book counterpart, however, “Jackson” comes across as anything but a children’s film. The very premise of the gods having sexual relations with humans sharply contrasts with Christian values, and the rest of the story takes unnecessary steps to make this into an adult film.
The film’s title character, Percy Jackson, played by Logan Lerman, is the son of Poseidon and has grown up without any knowledge of his father’s position or his own demi-god powers. Zeus made a law that forbade any god from having relations with his or her demi-god children. Percy crosses paths with Zeus, however, when someone steals Zeus’ lightning bolt and Percy gets blamed. Suddenly, Poseidon and Zeus’ brother, Hades, along with a host of many other characters, come after Percy, wanting the lightning bolt for themselves.
When Hades kidnaps Percy’s mother, Percy sneaks out of a camp for demi-gods, where he has begun his training, to save his mother. Along for the road to Hell are Grover, Percy’s protector, and Annabeth, daughter of Athena, the goddess of wisdom. Together, they face monsters worse than Hell itself.
“Jackson” has several flaws. All the gods live in America, not Greece, a relocation never explained. When Percy’s mother gets taken to Hell, it’s easy to not care, and Pierce Brosnan gets far too little screen time as Chiron, the centaur who trains Percy. The CGI effects often fail to bring a suspension of belief and needed items, such as bows and arrows, seem to appear out of nowhere.
Meanwhile, Chiron the centaur and Grover the satyr are able to hide their animal halves in front of humans without any explanation. And then there’s the head of Medusa, a slimy, slivering thing that turns people to stone with one look. Don’t we all need one of those to carry around in our backpack? Mind you, the parts with Medusa, played brilliantly by Uma Thurman, are some of the most enjoyable parts of the film, but they’re also the weirdest parts.
None of “Jackson’s” flaws compare to the way its sexual elements almost ruin the film altogether. The film takes the younger, innocent characters of the book, makes them older, and turns them into characters that accept immoral actions. Grover, the party goat, comes close to pervert status, making advances toward almost every girl he sees and accepting the advances of Hades' promiscuous wife. And what’s a sexually inclined film without a scene in Las Vegas?
“Jackson” does not fail on every count, however. The sequences in Hell are visually impressive, although they, along with other monsters in the film, may scare younger audiences. Percy’s feelings toward the father who left him gives viewers something to relate to, and his sacrificial actions make him a character to look up to.
While some characters do not make a mark, Percy and Annabeth (played by Alexandra Daddario) play well off each other, creating a memorable and enjoyable love-hate relationship. An adventure in itself, the film’s music also leaves an impression. While listeners can hear elements of other film scores, the score fits the film well and exudes the magnificence of Mount Olympus.
Percy’s journey includes several humorous moments, as well as a few action scenes, making for a simply enjoyable film. Directed by Chris Columbus (who directed the first two “Harry Potter” films), “Jackson” takes viewers on an exciting journey to the world of the gods and demi-gods, but fails to make an impression as a whole. With its overused sexual jokes and with its actors failures to connect emotionally, the film does not stand up to the high standards set by its predecessors like the “Harry Potter” series. Nor does have enough weight to draw the overwhelming amount of fans the “Twilight” series has accumulated.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Review: G-Force
http://www.staticmultimedia.com/film/reviews/g-force
It’s hard to take a film like G-Force seriously. Then again, melodramas are hardly meant to be taken seriously, and G-Force comes pretty close to a melodrama classification. The film, which follows three guinea pigs in their secret agent activities, has little going for it when classified as an action film. However, it has much going for it when considered a fun, cute, family adventure film.
Darwin (Sam Rockwell), Juarez (Penelope Cruz), and Blaster (Tracy Morgan) are three rodents on a mission. In order to prove their worth, they break into the home of Leonard Saber, a top appliance manufacturer believed to have hidden, dark motives. When their mission appears to have failed, however, the FBI shuts G-Force down, and the three guinea pigs must make a run for it.
The team finds itself in a pet shop surrounded by a lively crew of characters including Bucky the hamster (Steve Buscemi) and Hurley the guinea pig (Jon Favreau). Together, they must find a way out of the pet store and back into the action to solve the mystery before the global extermination begins.
It’s easy to understand why these guinea pigs are not taken seriously by their superior FBI officers. Viewers may have an equally hard time taking G-Force seriously. If the premise of the film is cheesy, the film’s ending comes with an even more unexpected yet melodramatic ending that will have many viewers laughing in unbelief. The acting, however, equals the best in the industry, especially the almost unrecognizable voice of Nicholas Cage as Speckles the super-smart mole, who plays a major role in the film’s climax.
The plot and it’s conclusion are aimed mainly at kids, which probably lends many reviewers’ reasons for considering it kids version of Transformers. Yet G-Force is strangely lovable by both children and adults when viewed in the right mindset. When expectations aren’t too high, G-Force will please most viewers.
Special features on the DVD and Blu-ray give “rodent lovers” more to enjoy, too. The DVD includes features for both an adult and young audience and includes bloopers, deleted scenes, music videos, “Boot Camp” orientation for kids who want to join G-Force, and “G-Force Mastermind,” which gives viewers a look at the story behind G-Force. The Blu-ray version also has extra features including two different behind-the-scenes looks at how the G-Force’s lovable animal agents were animated as well as a look at Jerry Bruckheimer’s CG work.
It’s hard to take a film like G-Force seriously. Then again, melodramas are hardly meant to be taken seriously, and G-Force comes pretty close to a melodrama classification. The film, which follows three guinea pigs in their secret agent activities, has little going for it when classified as an action film. However, it has much going for it when considered a fun, cute, family adventure film.
Darwin (Sam Rockwell), Juarez (Penelope Cruz), and Blaster (Tracy Morgan) are three rodents on a mission. In order to prove their worth, they break into the home of Leonard Saber, a top appliance manufacturer believed to have hidden, dark motives. When their mission appears to have failed, however, the FBI shuts G-Force down, and the three guinea pigs must make a run for it.
The team finds itself in a pet shop surrounded by a lively crew of characters including Bucky the hamster (Steve Buscemi) and Hurley the guinea pig (Jon Favreau). Together, they must find a way out of the pet store and back into the action to solve the mystery before the global extermination begins.
It’s easy to understand why these guinea pigs are not taken seriously by their superior FBI officers. Viewers may have an equally hard time taking G-Force seriously. If the premise of the film is cheesy, the film’s ending comes with an even more unexpected yet melodramatic ending that will have many viewers laughing in unbelief. The acting, however, equals the best in the industry, especially the almost unrecognizable voice of Nicholas Cage as Speckles the super-smart mole, who plays a major role in the film’s climax.
The plot and it’s conclusion are aimed mainly at kids, which probably lends many reviewers’ reasons for considering it kids version of Transformers. Yet G-Force is strangely lovable by both children and adults when viewed in the right mindset. When expectations aren’t too high, G-Force will please most viewers.
Special features on the DVD and Blu-ray give “rodent lovers” more to enjoy, too. The DVD includes features for both an adult and young audience and includes bloopers, deleted scenes, music videos, “Boot Camp” orientation for kids who want to join G-Force, and “G-Force Mastermind,” which gives viewers a look at the story behind G-Force. The Blu-ray version also has extra features including two different behind-the-scenes looks at how the G-Force’s lovable animal agents were animated as well as a look at Jerry Bruckheimer’s CG work.
Monday, August 3, 2009
Review: So You Think You Can Dance Get Fit: Cardio Funk
So You Think You Can Dance Get Fit Cardio Funk gives viewers more fun and variety than your typical dance workout video. Most fitness workouts based on TV shows cash in on the said show’s popularity and leave the consumer with nothing to show for their money spent. So You Think You Can Dance Get Fit Cardio Funk avoids this mistake. I’m not saying Cardio Funk will appeal to everyone -- I, myself, do not care much for the “dancer’s” workout -- but this DVD workout stands high above many others. It’s not as much fun as Richard Simmons, nor is it as easy as Tae Bo, but Cardio Funk offers a fairly simple workout led by real people who actually seem to care about the viewer’s well being. Get ready to put your personality into your workout, and burn those calories!Led by former contestants of So You Think You Can Dance, Lauren, Travis, and Courtney, the DVD includes a warm up and cool down, as well as hip-hop, contemporary, and disco workouts. The routines presented aren’t the real thing -- something you can only get with a regular practicing time with professionals and perhaps a partner -- but they follow the basic steps and general ideas of their dance styles. The routines require a lot of room to move around, and they do work viewers to the max -- thus, the name Cardio -- but they also have their own, as the title also suggests, fun Funk. The routines are also fairly simple, yet challenging. Viewers can go at their own pace (and are encouraged regularly to do so). Each dance style includes a lesson, a dance to count, and slow, medium, and fast dances to music. The music isn’t exciting, but its beat keeps exercisers on track.
Some exercisers may have a hard time with the steps, but encouragement from the dancers in the video and fairly simple steps makes it easy for the exerciser having trouble with coordination to believe in herself and to believe that with enough practice, she can do the steps perfectly. Despite how good-looking the dancers on the DVD are (which may intimidate some viewers), their encouraging words, explanations of what muscles the exercise works out, and fun personalities (along with coordinated outfits and colorful lights in the background) make this a motivating and fun workout for most everyone.
Special Features include a bonus dance routine using the best moves from all the exercises and behind-the-scenes interviews with dancers Lauren, Travis, and Courtney.
http://www.staticmultimedia.com/film/reviews/so_you_think_you_can_dance_get_fit~_cardio_funk
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Movie Review: A Plumm Summer
http://www.staticmultimedia.com/film/reviews/a_plumm_summerNEWS FLASH: Froggy Doo has been frognapped! Repeat: Froggy Doo, the beloved and famous frog marionette from televisions top children’s show, has been frognapped! Officials canceled the special benefit local park appearance of Froggy Doo when they were forced to tape off the park and search for clues. Happy Herb, Froggy Doo’s faithful companion, reported that Froggy Doo was last seen safe and comfortable in his case backstage. After a short appearance, Happy Herb went backstage to escort the famous frog to his fans, but Froggy had disappeared. The innocent Montana town has never seen so much drama in one day. Local authorities are on the case, and after the recent discovery of a ransom note, the FBI has come to town. Have you seen Froggy Doo?
But the government has company in its efforts to solve the mystery of Froggy Doo’s disappearance. Elliott Plumm and his younger brother Rocky are also on the case. This will be A Plumm Summer they will never forget.
Narrated by Jeff Daniels, A Plumm Summer is one family-friendly film you won’t want to miss. You’ll love Froggy Doo! And all his pals too! But the story isn’t so much about Froggy Doo. Although writers T.J. Lynch, Frank Antonelli, and Caroline Zelder based the film’s mystery on real events, the movie actually focuses on the fictional elements of the plot – that is, the characters and how they change as Froggy Doo brings them together. The Plumms aren’t perfect, but their flaws ultimately capture the audience’s sympathy and love. True, the acting could be better, and the script could use a few more laughs and a less obvious villain, but by the end of the film, most viewers can’t help but have a “Plumm” of a time.
Chris Massoglia plays the troubled Elliott, who must deal with his younger brother’s obsession with Froggy Doo as well as all the rest of the annoying things that come with being an older brother. Rocky (Owen Pearce) looks up to his brother, who holds a heavy burden keeping his brother ignorant of their father’s alcoholic habits and helping his brother to maintain his childhood innocence. At first, Elliott thinks of his brother as an annoyance and shoves him to the side, but as he begins to solve the case, he not only grows closer to his brother, but he also becomes a stronger, more self-confident person. Any member of a dysfunctional family can relate to Elliott’s troubles, and any teenager can relate to Elliott’s journey as an adolescent.
Henry Winkler, as Happy Herb, will bring a smile to anyone’s face. The true highlight of the film, he treats Froggy Doo and his television audience like children of his own. Although it’s hard to buy the chaos that erupts out of the disappearance of a puppet, no one can question the genuine love of Happy Herb for his marionette. It’s a shame the rest of the acting couldn’t follow Winkler’s footsteps. William Baldwin barely holds up as Elliott’s father, and some of the townspeople’s dialogue doesn’t hold up to par.
Plumm Summer is director and writer Caroline Zelder’s first attempt at a movie; and it shows. With a mystery villain who’s not so mysterious, and with an ending that leaves viewers wondering what happens to the villains, the script doesn’t entertain to its full potential. The movie does stay true to the old-fashioned feeling of the 60’s era in which it takes place, however, and it does keep the viewer’s attention. The FBI agents, in particular, provide quite a few laughs, including a short at the end of the credits.
The DVD includes a good amount of features for such a low-budget film that took more than a year to come out on video. A commentary features writer/director Caroline Zelder and writer/producer Fank Antonelli, a gag reel provides a few chuckles (but nothing that will have viewers laughing out loud or rolling on the floor), three short deleted scenes (of little significance or entertainment value), and a theatrical trailer. The DVD also includes a music video with shots of action going on behind the scenes – something that those involved in the film might find interesting, but not the average viewer – and a behind-the-scenes feature with interviews of cast and friends on the red carpet of the premier. The last feature might have been more interesting if the filmmakers had made an actual behind the scenes feature and combine the footage from the music video with interviews of the cast.
The special features may not satisfy, but put together with the film, the DVD makes for a great family night. A Plumm Summer will have viewers hopping to its family-friendly tune.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Review: The King's Daughters
http://www.staticmultimedia.com/print/reviews/the_king~s_daughtersThree out of four stars. Would be four stars if it didn't have that one sex scene.
Sci-fi, action, mystery, romance... Nathalie Mallet successfully combines them all in the second installment of her Prince Amir’s Adventures series, The King’s Daughters. Normally, such a large grouping of genres would ruin a story, but Mallet manages to focus all these genres under the roof of her fantastical world, a world very much like our own.
As Prince Amir travels with his beloved Princess Eva, he has high hopes for a marriage approved by Eva’s father. Amir and Eva enter an increasingly hostile environment, however, when they arrive in Eva’s homeland, Sorvinka. Bandits have already attacked Amir and his men on the roads surrounding the kingdom; and once he arrives at the castle, Amir receives a greeting as cold as the icy winter environment that surrounds him: The king does not like Amir, one of Eva’s four younger sisters has been kidnapped, and an unclassified beast revisits the castle every night, killing anyone in its path. The king fears that his enemies, the Farrellians, are behind the evil deeds, but Amir suspects something far more mysterious and evil. Already having trouble making a good impression, Amir adds to the difficulty of his stay as he determines to solve the mystery. He explores the castle, meeting ghouls, gods, magic, and suspicious characters that all seem to have a motive. Meanwhile, the queen’s health fails and Amir begins to wonder whether more than just the princesses are in peril.
Could the culprit be the witch in the woods, known for kidnapping children? What about the one-armed lord and his three sons, loved by the people and next in line for the throne after the king’s nephew? Perhaps the two barbarians that don’t speak the country’s language and that seem to have the ability to walk through walls and be in two places at once had something to do with the kidnapping. Or maybe the green-eyed girl seen near the plant used to make deadly potions? It seems that even those closest to Amir cannot be trusted.
Mallet keeps her readers guessing, revealing clues that may or may not contribute to solving this mystery. A master at deceiving the reader until the very end, Mallet weaves characters and their stories together. Characters blend, clash, and fight, making for the perfect mystery filled with action and adventure.
Now, don’t forget the romance. There’s plenty of that in store, even a racy, yet non-explicit sex scene that lasts about a page. Although Mallet could have easily left the sex scene out (this is not a Harlequin romance), she does a good job of describing the lovers’ actions without becoming too detailed. Eva and Amir are the only characters in King’s Daughters that appeared in the first book, making it easy for anyone who has not read the first book to follow the plot. Some might worry that a continued romance from the first book would ruin the second book (just look at TV: every series ends after the couple gets married), but Mallet does not disappoint. Eva stays away from Amir for the majority of the book, but she plays a crucial role in Amir’s motivation to find the missing princesses, as well as in the book’s conclusion.
Mallet’s talent for words amazes readers, as she wrote both her fantasy books in her second language: English. Her characters are lovable, believable, and easy to relate to. One character named Diego proclaims himself a “dandy” and resembles the famous literary hero The Scarlet Pimpernel in both his wit and his charm.
Mallet includes all the details needed to make the setting feel real, leaving only one or two gaps unfilled -- not enough to confuse the reader or stop the reader from reading. In fact, Mallet pulls everything together in the end with a satisfying finale that leaves the way open for future books. A page-turner for young-adults, adults, and fans of fantasy and mystery, The King’s Daughters delivers big time. Unlike its story, the book’s success will be no mystery.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Review: Secret Life of the American Teenager Season 2
http://www.staticmultimedia.com/film/reviews/the_secret_life_of_the_american_teenager~_season_2
The “secr
et lives” of these “American teenagers” aren’t so secret. 15 year old Amy (Shailene Woodley) is pregnant. Amy’s parents are getting a divorce, and Amy’s boyfriend, Ben (Ken Baumann), struggles to find his place in Amy’s and the coming baby’s life. Ben and Amy want to get married. The father of the baby, Ricky (Daren Kagasoff), is sleeping with Adrian (Francia Raisa) who is sleeping with her step-brother. Ricky’s sexually abusive father wants to cash in on Amy’s baby. Ricky’s Christian girlfriend, Grace (Megan Park), is really in love with Jack (Greg Finley), and refuses to have sex before marriage. Grace’s mentally disabled brother wants to marry his new girlfriend after only one date. Meanwhile, high school students Henry (Allen Evangelista) and Alice (Amy Rider) are sleeping together.
The Secret Life of the American Teenager revolves around one thing: SEX. Characters struggle to balance high school, dating, and, of course, the hot topic of sex (although viewers never see characters actually having sex). Gossip resounds in the halls of the institution known as high school, and melodramas erupt. Soap opera for teenagers, it’s no wonder that this show has lasted for two full seasons. People like drama, and they’ll definitely find it in American Teenager.
But beyond the seemingly mindless and unending soap opera drama, American Teenager has heart. Despite the bad acting and the sometimes boring script, the show deals with real issues that many teenagers face on a daily basis. While some parts may offend conservatives – a gay couple wants to raise Amy’s baby and a Christian family doesn’t put the most positive light on Christianity – Amy’s story, connected to the stories of those around her, rings true. She learns to accept responsibility for her actions, Ben learns that he can support Amy without becoming her husband just yet, and Ricky learns that he is not his father. Meanwhile, there are plenty of laughs in store for viewers with characters like Amy’s sarcastic sister’s dry sense of humor and Amy’s father’s “delight in vexing” his soon to be ex-wife’s nerves.
As with any television show, American Teenager takes the viewer on a journey. As the characters come together in the hospital to await the arrival of the new baby, they realize that they are all connected in one way or another to Amy and the situations that have surrounded her pregnancy. The viewer, too, connects with the characters and the stories they tell.
The complete second season DVD comes with a music video recapping the first season, “Character Secrets” – in which cast members talk about the plot of the show, and “Cast Close-Ups” – in which a random young girl (who doesn’t have the best interview skills) asks cast members about their own “secret lives.”
The “secr
et lives” of these “American teenagers” aren’t so secret. 15 year old Amy (Shailene Woodley) is pregnant. Amy’s parents are getting a divorce, and Amy’s boyfriend, Ben (Ken Baumann), struggles to find his place in Amy’s and the coming baby’s life. Ben and Amy want to get married. The father of the baby, Ricky (Daren Kagasoff), is sleeping with Adrian (Francia Raisa) who is sleeping with her step-brother. Ricky’s sexually abusive father wants to cash in on Amy’s baby. Ricky’s Christian girlfriend, Grace (Megan Park), is really in love with Jack (Greg Finley), and refuses to have sex before marriage. Grace’s mentally disabled brother wants to marry his new girlfriend after only one date. Meanwhile, high school students Henry (Allen Evangelista) and Alice (Amy Rider) are sleeping together.The Secret Life of the American Teenager revolves around one thing: SEX. Characters struggle to balance high school, dating, and, of course, the hot topic of sex (although viewers never see characters actually having sex). Gossip resounds in the halls of the institution known as high school, and melodramas erupt. Soap opera for teenagers, it’s no wonder that this show has lasted for two full seasons. People like drama, and they’ll definitely find it in American Teenager.
But beyond the seemingly mindless and unending soap opera drama, American Teenager has heart. Despite the bad acting and the sometimes boring script, the show deals with real issues that many teenagers face on a daily basis. While some parts may offend conservatives – a gay couple wants to raise Amy’s baby and a Christian family doesn’t put the most positive light on Christianity – Amy’s story, connected to the stories of those around her, rings true. She learns to accept responsibility for her actions, Ben learns that he can support Amy without becoming her husband just yet, and Ricky learns that he is not his father. Meanwhile, there are plenty of laughs in store for viewers with characters like Amy’s sarcastic sister’s dry sense of humor and Amy’s father’s “delight in vexing” his soon to be ex-wife’s nerves.
As with any television show, American Teenager takes the viewer on a journey. As the characters come together in the hospital to await the arrival of the new baby, they realize that they are all connected in one way or another to Amy and the situations that have surrounded her pregnancy. The viewer, too, connects with the characters and the stories they tell.
The complete second season DVD comes with a music video recapping the first season, “Character Secrets” – in which cast members talk about the plot of the show, and “Cast Close-Ups” – in which a random young girl (who doesn’t have the best interview skills) asks cast members about their own “secret lives.”
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