Just letting you know, I'm abandoning the "chocolate rating" system, for now. I'm beginning to find it a bit tacky, so unless I find another way to utilise it, I'm removing it for now.
Happy reading!
Sunday, November 21, 2010
A Fantastic Almost-Ending
Movie Title: "Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows: Part One" (2010)
Director: David Yates
Writer: Steve Kloves (screenplay), J.K. Rowling (novel)
This movie surpassed all of my expectations. Despite knowing that the director had changed, again, I did not have high hopes for the quality of this movie (by themselves, the previous movies have been relatively good, but as someone who has read the entire series multiple times I could not handle the inaccuracies and bad changes to the storyline that have been in every other movie), but David Yates proved me wrong. The script followed that of the novel closer than in any previous movie, and the only things which were changed were trivial things that did not directly affect any important aspect of the storyline. The quality of the acting has also improved greatly, with Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson's ability growing in each movie.
The film starts in a very sad tone, playing quiet music while showing the Dursley's leaving forever and Hermione saying goodbye to her family as she wipes their memories. From here on it plays out almost exactly as the novel does, and Yates picked out the perfect place to end this half of the film, setting the second half up for a very dramatic beginning.
With a short but sweet cameo from Bill Nighy, as Rufus Scrimgeour, I felt this movie has everything I was looking for. It seems the film-version of the Harry Potter series has finally been saved!
I give this a 9/10!
Director: David Yates
Writer: Steve Kloves (screenplay), J.K. Rowling (novel)
This movie surpassed all of my expectations. Despite knowing that the director had changed, again, I did not have high hopes for the quality of this movie (by themselves, the previous movies have been relatively good, but as someone who has read the entire series multiple times I could not handle the inaccuracies and bad changes to the storyline that have been in every other movie), but David Yates proved me wrong. The script followed that of the novel closer than in any previous movie, and the only things which were changed were trivial things that did not directly affect any important aspect of the storyline. The quality of the acting has also improved greatly, with Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson's ability growing in each movie.
The film starts in a very sad tone, playing quiet music while showing the Dursley's leaving forever and Hermione saying goodbye to her family as she wipes their memories. From here on it plays out almost exactly as the novel does, and Yates picked out the perfect place to end this half of the film, setting the second half up for a very dramatic beginning.
With a short but sweet cameo from Bill Nighy, as Rufus Scrimgeour, I felt this movie has everything I was looking for. It seems the film-version of the Harry Potter series has finally been saved!
I give this a 9/10!
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Classic Fantasy
Book Title: "The Lord Of The Rings"
Author: J.R.R. Tolkien
Publisher: Harper-Collins
"The Lord Of The Rings" is one of the most classic fantasy novels of all time. If you haven't read this book, and are up for tackling it's 1112 pages ( one-volume paper-back edition, inclusive of the 108 page Appendix), then find a copy and start reading! Tolkien's epic is constructed of three books within the novel ("The Fellowship Of The Ring"; "The Two Towers"; "The Return Of The King"), followed by a series of Appendices (A-F) which describe in detail the historic background of Middle Earth and it's inhabitants, family trees of relevant characters, deconstruction of the multiple languages used within the novel ( Elvish, Westron, Common Speech, Entish, Orcish, Torog and Dwarvish) and a series of maps detailing the landscape of Middle Earth. All considered, Tolkien has created an entirely believable world in which no detail is left unwritten and no character is without a background. Any minor details which are not covered in the three books are covered in the Appendices, the most extensive and descriptive of any novel I have ever read. To think that this novel started as a bed-time story for Tolkien's children is amazing, as it has become a novel which although unread by many who aren't brave enough, is known by everybody.
"The Lord Of The Rings" takes us through the journey of Frodo Baggins, and his companions: Samwise Gamgee, Peregrin Took, Merry Brandybuck, Gimli son of Gloin, Aragorn son of Arathorn, Legolas, Boromir and Gandalf. Tolkien's story is one that is both original and entertaining, and despite it's length it does not for one word falter in it's brilliance.
One could almost believe that Tolkien must have spent many years in another world to create something so intricate and word-perfect as "The Lord Of The Rings".
This is one of my favourite novels, and definitely earns a 10/10
Author: J.R.R. Tolkien
Publisher: Harper-Collins
"The Lord Of The Rings" is one of the most classic fantasy novels of all time. If you haven't read this book, and are up for tackling it's 1112 pages ( one-volume paper-back edition, inclusive of the 108 page Appendix), then find a copy and start reading! Tolkien's epic is constructed of three books within the novel ("The Fellowship Of The Ring"; "The Two Towers"; "The Return Of The King"), followed by a series of Appendices (A-F) which describe in detail the historic background of Middle Earth and it's inhabitants, family trees of relevant characters, deconstruction of the multiple languages used within the novel ( Elvish, Westron, Common Speech, Entish, Orcish, Torog and Dwarvish) and a series of maps detailing the landscape of Middle Earth. All considered, Tolkien has created an entirely believable world in which no detail is left unwritten and no character is without a background. Any minor details which are not covered in the three books are covered in the Appendices, the most extensive and descriptive of any novel I have ever read. To think that this novel started as a bed-time story for Tolkien's children is amazing, as it has become a novel which although unread by many who aren't brave enough, is known by everybody.
"The Lord Of The Rings" takes us through the journey of Frodo Baggins, and his companions: Samwise Gamgee, Peregrin Took, Merry Brandybuck, Gimli son of Gloin, Aragorn son of Arathorn, Legolas, Boromir and Gandalf. Tolkien's story is one that is both original and entertaining, and despite it's length it does not for one word falter in it's brilliance.
One could almost believe that Tolkien must have spent many years in another world to create something so intricate and word-perfect as "The Lord Of The Rings".
This is one of my favourite novels, and definitely earns a 10/10
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