Lists
Reviews
Images
Movies
TV Shows
DVDs
Music
Books
Games
Profile
Reviews by Elfflame
Could have been so much better
Posted : 4 months ago on 27 July 2009 08:15
(A review of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince)So...I've seen it twice now. The first time I was so overwhelmed by emotion that I had trouble sorting out my thoughts. This is my second favorite of the books for several reasons. Among them the fact that this is basically Draco and Snape's story. Even as much as it is Harry's and Tom's. The book itself is flawed, but there are many points in the story that I can't help but love, despite the ridiculous teenage drama. The movie is far less so. Obviously, it can't follow the book exactly. That would have taken three movies worth. But there were some distinct disappointments when it came to things left out, or reactions in general. Overall, worth a viewing, but I wouldn't expect it to be the best of the series if you have yet to see it. **Spoilers past here** Watching this movie a second time led me to thinking about what worked in this movie and what didn't, and why. I realized that both depended on how I looked at the movie itself. The first, and to me, most important layer, is the storytelling. As a movie trying to stand on its own, it fails on several counts. Granted, part of that can be forgiven, as it is the sixth in a series. Few who don't already know the series would even bother attending. But on a deeper level, even before this movie, the bits needed to hold up the flow of the story have been dropped. You can see that they're obviously trying to pull things back together, much as JK Rowling did in the book, but they have dropped far more threads than she, and it leads to quite a mess. A particular plot point here is Tom Riddle's background. Not only have we missed some of the vital clues that explain who he is and where he came from (yes, we know, if vaguely, that he is a half-blood from COS, but only just), but the horcruxes are only explained in a glancing blow which tells Harry nothing about how to find more of them. A truly disastrous loss for the coming movie. Then there is the basics of storytelling itself. A story should have a flow to it. It helps the audience follow better, and even retain the story better. Particularly when it comes to pattern. Stories have patterns the same way music does. This means repetition and pacing and a number of other storytelling devices that have been around for a very long time. In this case, the movie seemed incredibly choppy, like there was no direction for the story. This has nothing to do with leaving things out (I'll deal with that point later on). This is about telling a good story that people can enjoy. That means each plot point should add something to the overall story, and to its impact. If you can't do that, whether you are writing a book, filming a movie, or making a tv show, you have failed. Period. End of statement. Also, some might consider this less important, but I've always considered it a basic guiding principle--when you have a device you are using to impart information, whatever it may be--a town cryer announcing something each day, a tree changing with the seasons, newspaper transitions--or say, a few journies into memories about someone--it is always best to use that device at least three times. This movie only showed us two memories. Granted, they showed one twice, and slightly different versions, but they were the same memory. It leaves the viewer unconsciously wanting more. Even if they don't necessarily know it. Having three or more helps with the flow of the story, so that the audience knows what to expect. Going without leaves that feeling of waiting for the last shoe to drop, so to speak. I can't say which would have been the best memory to add (possibly one of the memories about the other possible horcruxes), just that we needed one more to make it feel right. At least, to me. Beyond that, we have the moviemaking part. This is not only acting, but also directing and effects. I have only ever found one fault with the effects of Harry Potter, and that was the Dragon in Goblet because the scene went on far too long for something that wasn't that integral to the plot. Focusing on effects over plot is always a bad choice in my eyes. The directing in this series has been about has haphazard as the DADA classes in Harry Potter. We've had several directors, each with their own styles, and it has led to shifts in the continuity that otherwise wouldn't have taken place. Still, overall, it's been generally forgivable, aside from a few minor quirks. But more importantly, by this second viewing of the movie, I realized that the cast, rather than becoming more cohesive, as any good cast would do, seems to be becoming less so over time. Each of them should have such a good idea of their character by now that they should be able to react without direction, even when the focus is not on them. Instead, I feel like what we're getting are wooden dolls that only react when the focus is on them. They seem to have no clue of anything going on around them unless they have been told to. It's growing increasingly frustrating for me. Some of the actors are better about it than others, but it seems to be true overall for the entire cast, including the veteran adults who should all know better by now. As much as I adore Rickman, I'm growing to hate his Snape more and more because he's not bothering to give him any life. I could speculate whether this is his token resistance to not being given more before now, but I won't. Why he's doing it doesn't matter so much as the fact that it's killing the character--at least as far as the movies go. Even Dan, who is amazing in OOTP, felt a bit like he was daydreaming his way through the movie this time. It just leaves me disappointed overall, and with a bad taste in my mouth. I go to a movie like this for the emotional connection. And this feels completely devoid of that, because the actors don't seem to be connecting with each other, and therefore we can't really seem to connect with them. For me, it's incredibly disappointing. Especially in a series that I love so much. Next we have the Harry Potter story. Yes, it really does come third, because if you're not a fan, it's more about the story itself, and the acting. If those two don't hold up, people who aren't familiar with the story won't be interested (which is pretty much what has happened...). Most fans watch the movie with this filter on, and it's hard to let go of that favorite scene, even if it really isn't vital to the overall story. That means that when we talk about the movie after, we remark on what was missing and what was added, and whether or not it worked with or without that scene. It's really incredibly hard to let go of that filter, though. I have to say that there were changes that worked for me in this, and changes that did not. I loved watching Draco try to fix the cabinet--though I do have to say that I wanted to see him actually working on the cabinet more than he did. Simply having him open and close the doors and place things inside or looking in to see if they had returned weren't quite enough for me. The chanting worked, though. I would have liked more like that, probably in conjunction with the opening and closing of the doors. Something more to show that the "repair" wasn't just accidental. Also, speaking of the cabinet--I loved the way they chose to add an explanation for it, given that it hadn't been in either of the two movies where it was previously mentioned (COS for the one at B+B and also for Peeves's breaking the one at Hogwarts, and GOF for Warrington being shoved into it by the Weasley twins, and therefore giving Draco the idea to fix it in the first place.). The explanation was an intriguing one, and made me wonder how the things work, and just how many there are out there. On the other hand, Gambon has worked less and less for me as Dumbledore as time went on. I hope his bit will be kept to a minimum the last two movies. When the book says Dumbledore calling for Harry in the Goblet of Fire echoed through the room, it doesn't mean he shouted. It means the room was so quiet that you could have heard a pindrop. That scene still bugs me even now. And he did it again this time. Granted, I know this was more a directoral and scripting choice than Gambon's choice--if Dumbledore were so stupid as not to even suspect that the journal was a horcrux, then why did he go after the ring? No, the reason he needed that memory was to find out how many horcruxes Tom had made. I will say that the connection between Harry and the horcruxes was better threaded, though. Though mentioned that there was no time to set up everything Dumbledore would have once he realized Harry's necessary role before they left the next day... While I'm at it, there were other annoyances: I still hate Narcissa's hair--no, it does not need to be dark. I'm sure witches have their own way of making their hair different colours, if you have to insist on her having Black-dark hair like the rest of her family... And Peter's hand--correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't he cut off the hand with the missing finger when he sacrificed it for Voldemort's rebirth? And a few additions: Regulus was mentioned more in this than in the book. Does make me wonder if we're going to see Grimmauld Place at all next movie, though. And I will say for once, Klovis actually did a good job adding Ginny into the mix of Harry and his friends--unlike JK, who couldn't be bothered. I can see he's set her up to be much more instrumental in helping to find the tiara when Harry and his friends return to Hogwarts in the final movie. And finally for me, and I think also for most fans, there is the character-specific reactions. I think most fans have those characters they like and/or identify more with, and therefore see the plot through. These are the truly personal reactions--the ones that rely on our own specific views of the characters that often have little to nothing to do with canon, but purely what we have made the character into in our head, whether that be from reading, writing, or even Roleplaying. For me, this movie breaks down to three main characters, and a few minor ones. Overall, of course, is Draco. He was the one that reacted loudest as I watched this the first time, and he is the one I play and write the most, so that makes sense. Not to mention that this is his movie--his time to shine. I think Tom did a lovely job, though I didn't see Draco's emotions build as much as I would have liked. I did love seeing him fix the cabinet, as I said above. I also loved his horror when Auntie dearest came through along with Fenny and the other two Death Eaters (Amycus and Alecto, I presume...). And while JK Rowling never told us for sure that Draco was ever Marked, mine has always been, so it was sort of a horrified thrill to see him show Dumbledore his Mark there at the end. Then there is Blaise. I thought the Movie Blaise was very nice, and it was cool to see him in the background throughout the movie. I did get one incredibly strong reaction from him, and this is sort of a sideline rant. Blaise was never on the Quidditch team. Granted, it was never said that he wasn't, but I think it would have in this book, at the very least, if he had been. Not everyone has to be on the Quidditch team, and I imagine that Slytherin's a harder team to get onto than most. It's one of the reasons I don't see girls getting on their team. Not to mention the hide-bound "traditions" of the purebloods that probably run the house. I doubt they would let a girl on unless they were simply given no other option. And then there was Regulus. It was nice to see him mentioned--more than once, even. And then, I couldn't stop myself from looking at the inferii when they came out of the lake. Granted, I doubted they would actually show him, but I knew he was there, and I just had to look. Beyond them, there was Snape--who I have already discussed above. Though I will say that I was incredibly disappointed at how little screen-time he got, considering that he's the secondary title character next to Harry... Would it truly have killed them to give us even one DADA class? And maybe Harry's reaction to his being DADA teacher? Let's not even go into how washed-out the reveal was, considering that anyone who hadn't read the books would never understand the full implication of Snape's words to Harry that he was the Half Blood Prince... I also felt a bit of a reaction from Remus this time around. I hate what JK Rowling did with him overall, though. After POA, she undersold his character more and more. And this movie actually made me hate that even more--he didn't feel like Remus to me at all. The point of Remus, as I have always seen him, since readong POA, is that he is a man who has always kept himself tightly controlled--even as a teenager. That is why Sirius and James got away with so much without him telling them off. That and the fear that he would lose them as friends. But this older Remus, who has lost them? He's spent nearly all of his adult life alone. He's worn down. Tired. Lost. Not angry. I hated that in DH, and I hate it here. Those were my major reactions, though I'm sure I've forgotten something here or there, but I'd say I've rambled on far long enough. Overall, not bad. Just not great like I know it could have been.  0 comments, Reply to this entry
Legend updated
Posted : 9 months ago on 22 February 2009 04:27
(A review of Merlin)I have been watching the series for the first time this weekend, and I have to say...I love it. I'm very much an Arthur nerd. Meaning I know more about Arthurian legend and characters than most laymen. Though I'm far from fluent enough to be considered an Arthurian scholar. I was avoiding this show because someone described it to me as "Hercules-style Camelot." It's not. It so much better. I avoided watching Hercules because someone's ego quickly took it over, and yes, the show was about him, so there was no way to divorce him from the plots without killing the show. I could never stomach how different the show was from the myths the few times I tried to watch. It just wasn't something I could handle. So I didn't watch. And I avoided this show for the same reason, fearing that it would annoy me in the same way. It doesn't. There is one thing about Arthurian mythos that is different from Hercules. There are so many contradictory tales and rewritings of the stories that a new version of them only adds to the mythos. Now, granted, it could be done badly, but having watched ten episodes, I think I can now safely say that they've got people who know what they're doing plotting the story out. Though they have aged down Merlin, it fits almost better than the older sage giving Arthur decrees and undecipherable prophesies from on high. He still has secrets from his prince, but the fact that they are learning from each other and growing closer is excellently done. I think all the characters have been carefully studied before writing out the series. While Arthur still has his father, the basis of what makes him Arthur is there. And through their friendship, Arthur and Merlin grow together. (with some absolutely wonderful subtext.) There are some major changes of character roles (Gwenivere as a servant rather than a princess & Lancelot as a commoner as well), but the way things are laid out, it's easy to see how the threads will weave to make the stories we're all familiar with. I look forward to seeing how it all plays out. 0 comments, Reply to this entry
A resimplification of a classic
Posted : 11 months, 2 weeks ago on 15 December 2008 03:28
(A review of Sid Meier's Civilization: Revolution)I've been playing Civilization since the original version, and it has always been one of my favorite games. However, as time has gone on, and the game has been upgraded, it has become somewhat unmanigable. Too many things to keep track of, too much to do, too hard (or in some cases, too easy) to win. Four has kind of lost its glamour for me. So I debated with myself about whether or not to get this version. I have to say, I'm glad I did. It's rather like playing Civ 4 crossed with the original game--the amount of things you have to keep track of has been very trimmed down, and it makes for easier gameplay. My only issue with this new version, and it might be a DS issue, is that it doesn't last very long at all, because the continents are so tiny. I'm now curious what the differences between the DS and Computer or platform versions of the game are. I do think, if you've become rather disenfranchised by the series, this is a good way to get back into it once more. 0 comments, Reply to this entry
Making your luck
Posted : 1 year ago on 27 October 2008 12:06
(A review of Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day)I remember seeing the preview for this movie this past winter, and thinking it looked interesting. But what I saw was nothing like what I'd expected. Francis and Amy did an incredible job of pulling my interest throughout the story, and the setting was one that I find quite fascinating--England in the late thirties. Francis's character is easy to empathise with, even if Amy's is not. She's the common woman just trying to make her way in a hard world (not unlike the world of today). Amy's is a flitting gadabout that is fun to watch, even as you want to pin her to a chair and tell her to grown up. Most of all, I enjoy the idea of the story--one day that changes both womens' lives. Francis finds her place in life, and Amy makes the choice for her future. The cast of characters around them is interesting. Crooks and socialites, rich and working class, not to mention the glitz of show business, and the undertone of the coming war and the echo of the one that came before. It's all there, and each bit lends more to the surreality of the story. It's a movie I highly recommend, and one I will be buying at my earliest opportunity. 0 comments, Reply to this entry
With talent comes improvement
Posted : 1 year, 2 months ago on 15 September 2008 02:41
(A review of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix)While this is not my favorite of the series, after Goblet of Fire, it was by far a vast improvement. The kids felt like they were having fun again, they got in (almost) enough of the story to make up for the lack in the previous two movies, and they didn't cut out anything vital this time around. Umbridge was perfect, and we saw just enough without having to suffer too much. The twins exit was stupendous. And the Order was nice. I would have liked to have seen the Quidditch match--any of them. For me, you can't have Harry without Quidditch being in there somewhere, and this one had a decided lack of it. I could definitely have done without Cho, though. But that's more a matter of personal taste. It was lovely to see how much Daniel has grown up, especially after his experiences with Equus in London. Of course, at the time of filming, they hadn't actually started showing yet, but you can see that he'd already been working out--he just looks wonderful. Whatever else the creators of this team have done, they did one thing right in hiring him. I look forward to seeing where the next film will land. 0 comments, Reply to this entry
Harry Potter and the Movie of Fail
Posted : 1 year, 2 months ago on 15 September 2008 02:23
(A review of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire)Anyone who's read any of my previous Harry Potter reviews likely knows that I'm a Harry Potter fanatic. I've seen all the moveis, I've read all the books, and I have very specific opinions when it comes to them. That said, I have to say, this is the worst of the movies so far. Granted, I'm not that fond of the book, but I'm even less so of the movie. There was simply no heart in this movie. It was torn out by a screenwriter who is so caught up in his crush over a girl a third his age that he forgets the movies are about Harry, and not Hermione. I'm not even going to go into all the minor issues here. But there is one major one--Barty Crouch. Now, I wondered how they would do this storyline. It's really rather vital to the underpinnings of this specific story, but also to the world at large. And I knew they'd have to do it right to make it work. They failed. Barty Crouch and his son are the central part of this plot, and without that story there to flesh out what is otherwise a very rediculous year (I'm not even going to go into *why* Dumbledore felt Harry had to compete--that's a book issue.), the story feels rushed and rudderless. Without the knowledge that Barty spent time in Azkaban along with the other Death Eaters, or that Barty was one of the ones who attacked Neville's parents, why does he need to even be insane at all? And why would he have not gone straight to Voldemort's side as soon as he could? Not to mention the fact that he apparently only does his crazy-tongue thing when he's looking at his father? Removing that one fact took about 75% of the punch of this storyline, and left me wondering why they were still bothering at all. And then there is what that takes from the overall story of fathers and sons in this series. Barty and his son had such a bad relationship that it makes you see the flaws in the Wizarding World so much sharper than any of the father/son relationships we have seen before. And also shows that not everyone who is fanatical is just bad, and that not everyone who is "good" is perfect. A much more important story than focusing on the rediculous tasks Harry and the others had to compete in. The only time the movie truly came close to redeeming itself was Voldemort's rise at the end. From the moment the boys appeared in the graveyard, we suddenly had a real plot again, and Harry had a true purpose once more. Magnificent. Too bad the rest of the movie couldn't have just been excised so that we could have enjoyed it more. 0 comments, Reply to this entry
Another Fairy Tale for the Modern World
Posted : 1 year, 2 months ago on 15 September 2008 12:12
(A review of Penelope)I went into watching this movie with low expectations. I'd read a little about it, and people had generally said that it didn't live up to its potential. Saddened me, but I had to see it at least once. I'm glad to say that I was pleasantly surprised. Christina and James did an excellent job in this story, and the only bit I felt was lacking was more of James after Penelope escaped into the real world. I'd have liked to see them interacting more there. The story itself is pretty much as expected. Family curse, girl's happier with it than her parents, suitors can't get over her looks (that seemed far overplayed, actually), girl wants someone who can accept her, and knows no one will. Enter boy. Boy needs money, doesn't care--at first--what she looks like, the two hit it off better than both expected, but he can't break the curse (no reason given at first), boy runs off, girl runs away from home. I love that James's character is as rich as he is. And I can see that he probably wasn't given much to play with, because he feels a bit paper-thin on the surface, but James makes him work. Christina's Penelope is absolutely wonderful, and so strong. A great role-model for little girls. And the solution to the curse is absolutely perfect. Definitely a movie to watch if you like fairy tales, though if you're expecting a traditional romance, it might fall a bit flat for you. 0 comments, Reply to this entry
Sid Meyer does it again
Posted : 1 year, 2 months ago on 11 September 2008 09:59
(A review of Spore)I'm not sure that Spore will be as addictive as Sim city or the Sims, but Spore is definitely a worthy addition to his catalogue of games. I do have to admit that at this time, I haven't managed to play a game all the way through to the end, but I have enjoyed the first few stages. I'll probably edit this review once I have. I am a bit disappointed that the evolution inherent in the game isn't based on outside (in-game) influences, but rather on the way you decide to build the creature with the parts you find. I think I would have preferred a root-based system, where the parts you choose lead to other parts, but you can drop parts if you want to go a different evolutionary route. Still...extremely playable right out of the box. I highly recommend it for those who enjoy Sid Meyer's other games. 1 comments, Reply to this entry
Redefining Bad
Posted : 1 year, 2 months ago on 10 September 2008 06:39
(A review of Ghost Rider)We all have those camp films that we like to watch. Movies that somehow redeem themselves simply because we enjoy them, but usually there is a favorite actor, or theme, or character, or something, that redeems them in some way. This film doesn't. Granted, I'm not a fan of the comics (though if I was, I think I'd be even more pissed off by this movie), and while I like Nick Cage, he's not one of my all-time favorites either. Still, I know that there's a good story in the comics, and I know Cage can act. So how did they end up with this crap? The film doesn't even feel like an homage. It feels like a bad computer game. You know, the sort that end up in the bargain bin a week after they come out, because no one likes it? The effects are poor, the script terrible, and the acting is horrendous--and that even from Cage, who I have seen do a million times better than this. Overall? This is simply not worthy. Don't waste your time. 1 comments, Reply to this entry
Where the story gets lost
Posted : 1 year, 2 months ago on 3 September 2008 03:34
(A review of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban)This is actually my favorite of the movie series so far. Though that is likely because it is also my favorite of the books. But even saying that, I have to admit--this is where the series began to fail. Sorcerer's Stone is Harry discovering the world of magic. He's still a boy, and most of the world is Hogwarts. He knows no better. Chamber of Secrets is Harry learning a bit about the magical world at large. That not everything is good and descent there any more than in the Muggle world. Prisoner of Azkaban is where he truly begins to learn about his own past. And because of that, there are vital pieces to what is to come in the rest of the series. This movie fails, in several fundimental way, to show some of those pieces. And without those pieces, later pieces get lost, and fall to the wayside. A dangerous thing when you're telling a story as complex as Harry's. Quick, anyone who has not read the books, but has seen the movie. Cold you tell me where the Map came from? Or why Harry's patronus is a Stag? Or how about what the prank on Snape was? I loved the difference in tone in this one, but overall, it is slowly but surely leading to the downfall of the series. And that makes me very unhappy. 2 comments, Reply to this entry
|
