The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1 (2011) / Review

Release Date: 18 November 2011 (India) Runtime: 117 min
Genres: Adventure | Drama | Fantasy | Romance
Taglines: Forever is only the beginning

The Quileute and the Volturi close in on expecting parents Edward and Bella, whose unborn child poses different threats to the wolf pack and vampire coven.

Director: Bill Condon
Writers: Melissa Rosenberg (screenplay), Stephenie Meyer (novel)
Stars: Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson and Taylor Lautner

Stewart is finally acting, which is one of the biggest reasons why this movie is so much better than the others. She portrays Bella in a way that is so close to the book, and it's wonderful to see her and Pattinson playing lovers that are so, so, so in love. The fact that Bill Condon (director) gave the happy couple so much time to be just that, happy, makes you really believe in their love and it makes you understand why they can't live without each other.
This movie takes you from a beautiful wedding, complete with the most hilarious toasts (Jessica and Charlie) wonderful music, stunning dresses and declarations of love that will touch everyone's hearts, to South America for a sexy, funny and exciting honeymoon where we see heartfelt smiles, kissing, cuddling and teasing along with the epic headboard breaking scene. It then settles back in Forks, where we get to witness the most terrifying pregnancy imaginable.
 The special effects team deserve an Oscar for the work they've done on making Stewart look like she's slowly fading away. The moments leading up to the birth scene are actually scarier than the scene itself. It really is a horror film towards the end, and some scenes should maybe have been rated R. It ends in the perfect place, such a natural and obvious cut. I am so thankful that Breaking Dawn has been split into two parts, because I can't imagine even once scene in this part that could have been skipped.

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Cast
Taylor Lautner , Gil Birmingham, Billy Burke, Sarah Clarke, Ty Olsson, Kristen Stewart, Ashley Greene, Jackson Rathbone, Peter Facinelli , Elizabeth Reaser, Kellan Lutz , Nikki Reed, Robert Pattinson, Christian Sloan, James Pizzinato

Produced by Wyck Godfrey, Stephenie Meyer, Mark Morgan & Karen Rosenfelt
Original Music by Carter Burwell       
Cinematography by Guillermo Navarro       
Film Editing by Virginia Katz       
Casting by Debra Zane       
Production Design by Richard Sherman         
Costume Design by Michael Wilkinson    
Filming Locations: Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA
Budget: $127,000,000 (estimated)
Production Co: Summit Entertainment, Sunswept Entertainment, TSBD Canada Productions
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital  | DTS
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MOVIE TRAILER

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Immortals (2011)

Release Date: 11 November 2011 (India) Runtime: USA: 110 min
Genre: Action | Drama | Fantasy Tagline: The Gods Need a Hero

Theseus is a mortal man chosen by Zeus to lead the fight against the ruthless King Hyperion, who is on a rampage across Greece to obtain a weapon that can destroy humanity.

Director:  Tarsem Singh

Writers (WGA):  Charley Parlapanides &  Vlas Parlapanides

Cast : 

Henry Cavill, Mickey Rourke, Stephen Dorff, Freida Pinto, Luke Evans, John Hurt, Joseph Morgan, Anne Day-Jones , Greg Bryk, Alan Van Sprang, Peter Stebbings, Daniel Sharman, Isabel Lucas, Kellan Lutz

Storyline

Eons after the Gods won their mythic struggle against the Titans, a new evil threatens the land. Mad with power, King Hyperion (Mickey Rourke) has declared war against humanity. Amassing a bloodthirsty army of soldiers disfigured by his own hand, Hyperion has scorched Greece in search of the legendary Epirus Bow, a weapon of unimaginable power forged in the heavens by Ares. Only he who possesses this bow can unleash the Titans, who have been imprisoned deep within the walls of Mount Tartaros since the dawn of time and thirst for revenge. In the king's hands, the bow would rain destruction upon mankind and annihilate the Gods. But ancient law dictates the Gods must not intervene in man's conflict. They remain powerless to stop Hyperion...until a peasant named Theseus (Henry Cavill) comes forth as their only hope. Secretly chosen by Zeus, Theseus must save his people from Hyperion and his hordes..

Sound Mix: Dolby Digital  | SDDS  | DTS
Original Music by Trevor Morris       
Cinematography by Brendan Galvin
Film Editing by Wyatt Jones & Stuart Levy            
Production Design by Tom Foden       
Filming Locations:  Cité du Cinéma, Montréal, Québec, Canada
Budget: $75,000,000 (estimated)
Production Co:  Relativity Media, Atmosphere Entertainment MM, Hollywood Gang Productions

Review

Let's put the theme at the beginning, the 9000+ reviews that put this movie above a 7, are one of the three: a hired hand who's likely never seen this movie to begin with (otherwise may conscience haunt him/her immortally), someone who's NEVER seen another movie, or a downright blind man. This is another one of those movies for which seeing the trailer more than suffices and any more irrational desire to see the ACTUAL movie is better suppressed. Be warned, go see the actual thing and regret every cent of your money and every minute of the abysmal performance.
Okok, the movie has to be somewhat decent if some rich boss poured 75 mil on it right? Not so quick. I don't know how much cash the high flying movie stars were paid for this simple gig, but CG alone couldn't have costed that much. Seriously, no plot made any sense, no character was developed even superficially. Those who claim this is a 300 equivalent... are just unethically drawing indiscrete and action-seeking movie goers, whom like myself will be sorely disappointed.
However, on the bright side, if you somehow end up seeing this, do me a favour and watch how Theseus rallies his "troops" at the big battle, and tell me if you just wasted 2 hours of your life.

TRAILER

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Puss in Boots (2011)/Movie Review

A story about the events leading up to the sword fighting cat's meeting with Shrek and his friends.

No regrets at all in watching this animated fantasy-Western adventure.
I see Puss' humble origins as a kitten growing up in an orphanage in the Mexican town of San Ricardo. He develops an unlikely friend in one odd egg named Humpty Alexander Dumpty. Circumstances eventually break up the two friends. After several years, Humpty seeks out Puss (with the help of sultry seductress Kitty Softpaws) to convince him to help get Jack's magic beans from Jack and Jill. I know this sounds like a messy mishmash of fairy tale characters, and it was. The artists also take liberties in their visual interpretation of these characters, including the Golden Goose (which I personally found corny).
Thanks to the Shrek films, we already know Puss in Boots and what to expect from him. His Zorro-like swashbuckling exploits, his charm with the ladies and his cute wide-eyed pleading look are all here, and Antonio Banderas too! Selma Hayek voices Kitty delightfully. This new character is quite likable, and you would like to see more adventures of the two cats. As for Humpty (voiced by Zach Galifianakis of "Hangover" fame) though, here lies the prickly problem. You may or may not like him, both his look and his character. Humpty can really be annoying!
There are so many hilarious isolated situations that could make you laugh out loud. I certainly did at several points. My favorite funny moment was that when Humpty changed into his Golden Egg costume. I'm sure you can get an absurd image just by reading that last sentence. Haha! His line when he was running and commented that he needed powder to prevent friction in his pants (he was apparently not wearing underwear) really made me guffaw! You have to hear it to believe that a line like that made it into a children's cartoon flick.
The artwork was of course flawless. The textures are palpable. The action sequences are exciting and funny at the same time. The fight scenes mixed with dance moves were quite interesting to watch as well. The 2D version looked adequate enough to enjoy the adventure. Overall this is a fun movie to watch with the whole family.

 

Genres: Adventure | Animation | Comedy | Fantasy
Release Date: 27 october 2011 (US)
Taglines: Rebel. Lover. Hero.

Cast overview :
Antonio Banderas- Puss in Boots (voice)
Salma Hayek -Kitty Softpaws (voice)
Zach Galifianakis- Humpty Dumpty (voice)
Billy Bob Thornton-  Jack (voice)
Amy Sedaris -Jill (voice)
Constance Marie -Imelda (voice)
Guillermo del Toro- Moustache Man / Comandate (voice)
Rich Dietl -Bounty Hunter (voice)
Ryan Crego - Luis (voice)
Tom Wheeler -    Bartender / Hotel Owner / Mean Boy / Wagon Driver / Rodrigo (voice)

Directed by Chris Miller       
Writing credits:  Charles Perrault, Brian Lynch, David H. Steinberg, Tom Wheeler, Jon Zack  
Original Music by Henry Jackman       
Film Editing by Eric Dapkewicz       
Production Co: DreamWorks Animation

MOVIE TRAILER

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Ranger's Apprentice: The Lost Stories by John Flanagan/Review

 

John Flanagan (Author

Hardcover: 352 pages
Publisher: Philomel (October 4, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0399256180
ISBN-13: 978-0399256189
Genre : Science Fiction, Fantasy , Horror , Magic, Action & Adventure

Amazon Price    
Kindle Edition     $10.54 / Hardcover     $8.99      

Description

The secret history of the New York Times bestselling Ranger's Apprentice

Unconfirmed accounts of a group of Araluen warriors - tales of adventure, battle, and triumph over evil - have spread for centuries throughout the known world. Most notable is a clan shrouded in mystery, phantom warriors known as the Rangers.

Two names pass the lips of every storyteller: Halt, and his apprentice, Will. They and their comrades in arms are said to have traveled throughout the kingdom and beyond its borders, protecting those who needed it most. If true, these rumors can be only part of the story.

Only now, centuries after these men and women walked the earth, do we have confirmation of their existence. Behold The Lost Stories.

Inspired by questions and letters his loyal readers have sent over the years, John Flanagan offers a gift in response: a collection of "lost" tales that fill in the gaps between Ranger's Apprentice novels. For the first time, readers can learn the truth behind how Will came to be orphaned and what his real relationship to Halt is, or watch Alyss in action as the young Araluen diplomat disguises herself and becomes the perfect spy.

Review

By  Dadinator (Wisconsin)

The story behind this book are that these are stories that have been found while historians are exploring the ruins of Castle Redmont and its nearby village. The book is a collection of short stories that fills in some of the blanks that didn't fit into the original books. eg. Gilan hunting down Foldor who is mentioned as Halt is banished from Araluen).

The ton of the book is different; some parts are more sad/somber and others are just shortened adventure stories. I think some younger readers may be bothered by the thought of a time when Castle Redmont lies in ruins and they realize this world has moved on.

As a stand alone book, I still prefer the full stories to a collection of short stories. Still this is a very fun read and for fans of the series, I think you will love it. If you haven't read the entire series, there will be a name or two you may not recognize, but it won't be a big deal. I, for one, am not ready for this world to move on.

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Heroes of Olympus, The, Book Two: The Son of Neptune/Book Review

Rick Riordan (Author)
Hardcover: 544 pages
Publisher: Hyperion Book CH (October 4, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1423140591
ISBN-13: 978-1423140597
Genre: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Literature & Fiction

In The Lost Hero, three demigods named Jason, Piper, and Leo made their first visit to Camp Half-Blood, where they inherited a blood-chilling quest:
Seven half-bloods shall answer the call,
To storm or fire the world must fall.
An oath to keep with a final breath,
And foes bear arms to the Doors of Death.

Who are the other four mentioned in the prophesy? The answer may lie in another camp thousands of miles away, where a new camper has shown up and appears to be the son of Neptune, god of the sea. . .
With an ever-expanding cast of brave-hearted heroes and formidable foes, this second book in The Heroes of Olympus series offers all of the action, pathos, and humor that Rick Riordan fans crave.
From the Roman demigod camp to the prison of Death himself, The Son of Neptune reunites readers with old friends and introduces them to a whole new cast of characters. The Roman camp is a far cry from Camp Half-Blood, but it’s every bit as fascinating to explore. Our heroes battle up and down the West Coast with impossibly few days before disaster is unleashed, fighting new foes and finding new friends along the way. Some of the mysteries from The Lost Hero are solved, while others loom even larger. Rick Riordan is a master at balancing just the right amount of seriousness and levity in every situation, and his three teen narrators point out the strangeness of the iterations of ancient myths in the modern world with spot-on accuracy. With page-turning adventure, witty dialogue, and fun, fascinating characters, this second installment of the Heroes of Olympus series is a must-read for any fan of myths and fables.

Review
Two books in and still a promising series,
By Vivamus

Excellent read! The book flowed fantastically and Riordan really has improved his writing skill since the days of "The Lightning Thief." I was not able to put the book down for the entire time I was reading. The book has some obvious challenges, being the 2nd of 5 books, however Riordan stands to the challenge well and does a good job by allowing this adventure to be (mostly) stand alone, while fleshing out character's and plot for subsequent books. Our new characters, Hazel and Frank are amusing narrators who are fully capable of bring in new perspectives to the 7 Demigod team.
My main complaint is that this book clearly does follow Riordan's typically outline (get quest, work under time constraint, travel the world/USA, get into trouble along the way, save the day) and, after reading the Percy Jackson Series and the Kane Chronicles, this can get a little repetitive. Despite this predictability, I still find Riordan's writings incredibly entertaining and it is always exciting to learn which geographical locations and Greek/Roman gods he will bring in next
I am excited to say that the series as a whole looks like it is headed for an excellent conclusion. When Riordan started this series I was initially worried that the series could only be an underdeveloped disappointment. However, upon finishing the second book I have become optimistic about the series. The characters and series plot is growing to be well developed, original, and interesting.
As a warning to any readers: the book has a very frustrating cliffhanger! I was very disappointed when I realized I had just finished the book.
My largest complaint, as I think someone has already noted, is that the Kindle version is filled with unnecessary typos and errors. While this isn't reflected in my star ratings since it doesn't reflect Riordan's writing, it was extremely disappointing that Amazon published such a low quality adaptation.

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Conan the Barbarian (2011) / Movie Review

Release Date: 19 August 2011 (USA)   Runtime:  113 min

Genres: Action | Adventure | Fantasy

Filming Locations:  Bistriza, Bulgaria
Production Co: Nu Image Films, Millennium Films, Paradox Entertainment

Storyline

A quest that begins as a personal vendetta for the fierce Cimmerian warrior soon turns into an epic battle against hulking rivals, horrific monsters, and impossible odds, as Conan realizes he is the only hope of saving the great nations of Hyboria from an encroaching reign of supernatural evil. 

Directed by Marcus Nispel

Writing credits(WGA): Thomas Dean Donnelly,  Joshua Oppenheimer, Sean Hood, Robert E. Howard

Original Music by Tyler Bates

Cinematography by  Thomas Kloss

Casts

JasonMomoa , Stephen Lang, Rachel Nichols , Ron Perlman,  Rose McGowan , Bob Sapp , Leo Howard , Steven O'Donnell , Nonso Anozie , Raad Rawi , Laila Rouass , Nathan Jones,  Saïd Taghmaoui , Milton Welsh , Borislav Iliev

Top Review

The first Conan is one of my favorite movies of all time. The Destroyer sucks although I did like it when I was a kid. The new one sucks too. There are too many battle scenes and they are all dull. There is absolutely nothing new here. What made the first movie so great was the poetry of it all. The land felt barren. Conan was not another cookie cooker hero on a cookie cutter George Lucas hero quest but a true nomad...a man who wanders from one encounter to the next...a witch...a snake cult...getting drunk and laid...punching a camel...happening upon the man who murdered his father...killing him...the epistemological space in which the first Conan takes place is that of a senseless premodern universe in which magical events succeed each other without ever truly fusing into one overarching narrative. Meaning is always somewhere over the horizon and the gods never deign to show themselves. The movie is filmed, scripted and scored in such a way that we feel the radical foreignness of Conan's universe. In the new film, however, there is no alterity at all, no imagination, no sense of being transported, no attempt to depart from the vaguely ideological boilerplate superhero narrative in even the slightest way...no mythical resonance...the new Conan struts and smirks like something out of the Fast and the Furious and has none of the cruel charisma of Arnold Schwarzenegger. Although the movie is incredibly violent and gory, the pat coziness of the narrative renders all of this violence absolutely sterile. Nothing real is ever at stake and the movie has nothing to say about anything. It practically evaporates off the screen it is so ephemeral. Don't waste your time with this one...watch the first one again.

By the way, I am not one of those people who dislikes remakes and "reboots" on principle...I actually really enjoyed Marcus Nispel's reboot of Friday the 13th...but he's out of his depth here.

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Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011)

Release Date: 20 May 2011 (India)

Genre: Action | Adventure | Fantasy

Plot:

Jack Sparrow and Barbossa embark on a quest to find the elusive fountain of youth, only to discover that Blackbeard and his daughter are after it too.

Captain Jack Sparrow (Depp) crosses paths with a woman from his past (Cruz), and he's not sure if it's love -- or if she's a ruthless con artist who's using him to find the fabled Fountain of Youth. When she forces him aboard the Queen Anne's Revenge, the ship of the formidable pirate Blackbeard (McShane), Jack finds himself on an unexpected adventure in which he doesn't know who to fear more: Blackbeard or the woman from his past. Written by Walt Disney Pictures

Directed by

Rob Marshall

Writing credits Ted Elliott, Terry Rossio, Stuart Beattie, Jay Wolpert, Tim Powers

(WGA)

Original Music by Hans Zimmer

Cinematography by Dariusz Wolski

Additional Details

USA:136 min | Argentina:137 min

Shooting location: Fajardo, Puerto RicoSee more 

Company:  Walt Disney PicturesSee more 

SYNOPSIS-

Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) travels to London to locate the person who has been impersonating him. The impostor has reportedly been recruiting a crew to search for the legendary Fountain of Youth. First Sparrow rescues his former first mate, Joshamee Gibbs (Kevin McNally), who is about to be hanged, though the two are captured. Jack is brought before King George II (Richard Griffiths), who wants him to guide an expedition to the Fountain before the Spanish find it. Heading the expedition is Jack's old nemesis, Captain Hector Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush), now a privateer in service to the British Navy after having lost Jack's ship, the Black Pearl, as well as his leg.

Jack escapes, and is found by his father, Captain Teague (Keith Richards), who warns Jack about the Fountain's tests. Jack soon discovers that the impostor is Angelica (Penélope Cruz), his former lover and daughter of the ruthless pirate Blackbeard (Ian McShane), who possesses supernatural powers and practices voodoo magic. Jack is forced to join Blackbeard's crew and to lead them to the Fountain. Meanwhile, Gibbs, who memorized, then destroyed, Sparrow's map, barters with Barbossa to lead him and his crew to the Fountain.

Aboard Blackbeard's ship, the Queen Anne's Revenge, Jack learns that the Fountain's water must be drunk simultaneously from two silver chalices once belonging to Juan Ponce de León. The person drinking from the chalice containing a mermaid's tear has their life extended, while the other person dies, their years of life drained from their body. Blackbeard intends to use the Fountain's power to circumvent his fated fatal encounter with a one-legged man, and sets a course for Whitecap Bay. There he traps a mermaid that Philip Swift (Sam Claflin), a captive missionary, falls in love with and names Syrena (Àstrid Bergès-Frisbey). Blackbeard then sends Sparrow to retrieve the chalices from de León's grounded ship. Sparrow arrives finding only Barbossa: the Spanish have already taken the chalices.

Casts:

Johnny Depp, Penélope Cruz, Geoffrey Rush, Ian McShane, Kevin McNally,

Sam Claflin, Astrid Berges-Frisbey, Stephen Graham, Keith Richards, Richard Griffiths,

Greg Ellis, Damian O'Hare

Top Review-
Jack Sparrow, You ROCK!, 14 May 2011

What Rob Marshall did with Pirates series, no one else could have done with such finesse and panache. Dropping out two key protagonists without explanations and instead of picking on famous novels, he opted for rather under-rated Tim Power's On Stranger Tides to fit the characters.

Similarly, what Johnny Depp has been doing in all Pirates movies and what he did in this movie, no one else could have done it with such perfection. That's Johnny Depp(Jack Sparrow) for you.

Most of you must have seen Indian Jones and the Last Crusade, I guess. You're gonna have a feel of Deja Vu in many of the scenes. Following an appropriately pulpy prologue, the film opens on erstwhile Captain Jack Sparrow (Depp) as he's marooned in London in search of a ship, and pursued by local authorities who he makes little serious effort to avoid. Hearing that an impostor Sparrow is auditioning pirate recruits at a seaside bar, he seeks out the interloper only to discover his spitfire former lover Angelica (Penelope Cruz), disguised as him After some requisite sword-clashing, Angelica kidnaps Sparrow and ferries him aboard the Queen Anne's Revenge, lorded over by Angelica's (maybe) father, Captain Blackbeard (Ian McShane). Commanding a crew comprised of equal parts stray pirates and hulking zombies -- why he needs the former when he has the latter is never explained -- Blackbeard enlists Sparrow to help him locate the fountain of youth, which becomes an especially urgent task after a prophecy foretells Blackbeard's imminent death at the hands of a one-legged man.

Meanwhile, Sparrow's rival Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush), now conveniently one-legged, has bid farewell to his pirate's life, and seeks the fountain on behalf of the king of England, who is keen to find it before a rival crew sent by the king of Spain can claim it for themselves. As the three parties converge on the fountain's jungle location, they must also deal with a ravenous horde of vampiric mermaids, from whom a single tear must be procured to drink the fountain's waters.

In case any one of you haven't seen the previous movies, frequent recaps are provided through out and it doesn't matter too much anyway. Depp remains the face of the film. But a majority of his thunder is co-opted by an on-point Rush, who not only gets the funniest lines and reaction shots, but also starts to siphon away much of the roguish charm that used to be Depp's stock and trade. McShane, on the other hand, is underwhelming. Never appearing comfortable in his heavy pirate get-up, his tired Blackbeard is only menacing via other characters' testimonials to his evil, and his one on screen atrocity seems tossed in merely to stress that he is, in fact, the bad guy.

Cruz is a reliably welcome, gorgeous presence, though she too often falls back on the "feisty Latina" signifiers that have been the crutch of so much of her English-language work. Sam Claflin supplies some semi- risible gallantry as a super-studly priest, and Astrid Berges-Frisbey looks effectively terrified as a captive mermaid.

All in all, it is must watch for everybody who is a fan of Pirates series and Johnny Depp. Go for it and chances are less of you being disappointed.

Thanks & Regards,

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Ghost Story by Jim Butcher/Book Review

Jim Butcher (Author)

Description

When we last left the mighty wizard detective Harry Dresden, he wasn't doing well. In fact, he had been murdered by an unknown assassin.

But being dead doesn't stop him when his friends are in danger. Except now he has nobody, and no magic to help him. And there are also several dark spirits roaming the Chicago shadows who owe Harry some payback of their own.

To save his friends-and his own soul-Harry will have to pull off the ultimate trick without any magic...

---------------------------------------------------------

Hardcover: 496 pages

Publisher: Roc Hardcover; First Edition edition (July 26, 2011)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 045146379X

ISBN-13: 978-0451463791

Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1.5 inches

REVIEW

When I first picked up Ghost Story, I was expecting another high-octane thrill ride, picking up where Changes left off. My assumptions were incorrect. This volume of the Dresden files takes a much more simple, introspective approach to what's going on. The first half of the book feels a bit plodding, but you come to realize later than this was purposeful, and that it made for a much better second half.

Dresden again finds himself in over his head, this time on the other side. He's got a mystery to solve, and just about no way to solve it, considering he's incorporeal. Characters that you have come to know have changed, sometimes dramatically, in the wake of what has happened to Harry. After figuring out a way to interact with mortals, that method is stripped away from him, and he's again left with nothing but his wits.

If there's one thing that Jim Butcher does right consistently, it's that he knows how to plant a completely unexpected emotional moment into his stories. This one is packed pretty full with these, as Harry sees the world from an outside perspective.

The writing is solid, ad the plot moves on at an appropriate pace. the only complaint I have is that the villain was far too predictable. From the first encounter, I had the identity pretty much locked down. That's not to say that the baddie wasn't effective, just that there could have been a red herring or two thrown in the mix to keep things interesting

Also, prepare yourself to be left with some of the same questions you had at the end of Changes, along with a slew of new ones. Overall, this is a great read, and a worthy addition to the series. I recommend buying it immediately if you're a fan of the Dresden files!

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Green Lantern (2011)/ Movie Review

Release Date: 17 June 2011 (India)  Runtime: USA: 114 min

Genres: Action | Crime| Fantasy | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Sound Mix: SDDS  | DTS (Datasat Digital) | Dolby Digital

Filming Locations: Los Angeles, California, USA 

A test pilot is granted a mystical green ring that bestows him with otherworldly powers, as well as membership into an intergalactic squadron tasked with keeping peace within the universe. 

Director:  Martin Campbell

Writers:  Greg Berlanti | Michael Green |Marc Guggenheim|Michael Goldenberg

Taglines: No Evil Shall Escape My Sight.  

Cast

Ryan Reynolds, Melanie Hebert, Blake Lively, Peter Sarsgaard , Mark Strong, Tim Robbins, Jay O. Sanders

Taika Waititi, Angela Bassett , Mike Doyle, Dylan James

Box Office

Budget: $200,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend: PHP 72,051,582 (Philippines) (19 June 2011) (231 Screens)

Gross: $115,601,139 (USA) (21 August 2011)

Production Co: Warner Bros. Pictures| De Line Pictures| DC Entertainment

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Thor (2011)/Movie Review

Genres:  Action | Adventure | Fantasy

Release Date:  29 April 2011 (India)   Runtime: 115 min

Taglines:

The god of thunder. The king of Asgard. The god of mischief. The guardian of worlds. The goddess of war. Two worlds. One hero.

Director:  Kenneth Branagh

Writers:   Ashley Miller (screenplay), Zack Stentz (screenplay)

Original Music by  Patrick Doyle

Cinematography by  Haris Zambarloukos

Storyline

The warrior Thor (Hemsworth) is cast out of the fantastic realm of Asgard by his father Odin (Hopkins) for his arrogance and sent to Earth to live among humans. Falling in love with scientist Jane Foster (Portman) teaches Thor much-needed lessons, and his new-found strength comes into play as a villain from his homeland sends dark forces toward Earth.

Filming Locations:  Del Mar, California, USA

Company: Paramount Pictures

Summary

The warrior Thor (Hemsworth) is cast out of the fantastic realm of Asgard by his father Odin (Hopkins) for his arrogance and sent to Earth to live among humans. Falling in love with scientist Jane Foster (Portman) teaches Thor much-needed lessons, and his new-found strength comes into play as a villain from his homeland sends dark forces toward Earth.

Marvel Studios expands its film universe with a new type of superhero: THOR. This epic adventure spans the Marvel Universe; from present day Earth to the realm of Asgard. At the center of the story is The Mighty Thor, a powerful but arrogant warrior whose reckless actions reignite an ancient war. Thor is cast down to Earth and forced to live among humans as punishment. Once here, Thor learns what it takes to be a true hero when the most dangerous villain of his world sends the darkest forces of Asgard to invade Earth. Kenneth Branagh directs this fantasy epic which stars Australian actor Chris Hemsworth as the ancient Norse god, Tom Hiddleston as his chaotic brother Loki, Natalie Portman as Jane Foster, a young woman who befriends Thor on Earth, and Anthony Hopkins as Odin, Thor's father and king of Asgard. Expect to see agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., previously seen in ''Iron Man'' to make an appearance, further forshadowing the coming of The Avengers!

Casts:

	Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Anthony Hopkins, Stellan Skarsgård Kat Dennings, Clark Gregg, Idris Elba, Colm Feore, Ray Stevenson, Tadanobu Asano Rene Russo, Jaimie Alexander, Josh Dallas

Review:

Intelligent and fun comic-book popcorn epic!

Thor was much much better than I expected. I didn't know if they could pull of the balance between the Norse mythology stuff and the real world Marvel Universe. I should've known better because Marvel knows their characters and knows what we want to see. Spider-Man set a new standard for the superhero film genre back in the day. Iron Man upped the ante. Thor takes the ball and runs with it and places that bar even higher. I look forward to seeing it again and know it will do well enough to be worthy of a sequel because word of mouth is going to be great. Trust me when I say Thor REALLY IS as good as Iron Man and is most worthy to be called one of the greatest adaptations ever.

Chris Hemsworth as the Norse god Thor, and Tom Hiddleston as his villainous brother Loki show they have the acting ability and star quality to become mega-marquee names in the future. Marvel found two absolute diamonds in the rough. Both actors make a HUGE impression and are wonderful on screen. You knew Acedemy Award winners Anthony Hopkins and Natalie Portman would bring it but these relative unkowns more than hold their own on screen. I know the script is written mostly for them but they carry it in a big way. From what I've read, Hemsworth and Hiddleston were cast almost a year in advance of filming the story so, they had time to get into shape and do character research. They certain did these long-time Marvel greats proud. Intelligent comic-book popcorn epics are rare and this one is definitely a cut above the usual fare.

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Your Highness (2011)/Movie Review

Release Date: 8 April 2011 (USA)|  Runtime: 102 min

Genres: Adventure | Comedy | Fantasy

Filming Locations: Ballygalley, County Antrim, Northern Ireland, UK

Tagline: Get your quest on.

Director: David Gordon Green

Writers: Danny McBride, Ben Best

Cinematography by Tim Orr Original Music by Steve Jablonsky

Storyline

Throughout history, tales of chivalry have burnished the legends of brave, handsome knights who rescue fair damsels, slay dragons and conquer evil. But behind many a hero is a good-for-nothing younger brother trying just to stay out of the way of those dragons, evil and trouble in general. Danny McBride and James Franco team up for an epic comedy adventure set in a fantastical world-Your Highness. As two princes on a daring mission to save their land, they must rescue the heir apparent's fiancée before their kingdom is destroyed. Thadeous (McBride) has spent his life watching his perfect older brother Fabious (Franco) embark upon valiant journeys and win the hearts of his people. Tired of being passed over for adventure, adoration and the throne, he's settled for a life of wizard's weed, hard booze and easy maidens. But when Fabious' bride-to-be, Belladonna (Zooey Deschanel)..

Cast:

Danny McBride, James Franco, Rasmus Hardiker, Natalie Portman, Toby Jones,

Justin Theroux, Zooey Deschanel, Charles Dance, Damian Lewis, Simon Farnaby, Deobia Oparei, B.J. Hogg, Matyelok Gibbs, Angela Pleasence, Anna Barry

Box Office

Budget: $49,900,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend: $9,360,020 (USA) (10 April 2011) (2769 Screens)

Gross: $21,557,240 (USA) (15 May 2011)

Production Co: Universal Pictures, Stuber Productions

REVIEW

The only accountable reason i can arrive at for all the negative feedback i heard from critics and the public is that i feel they were expecting something a little more Holy Grail, because of the setting and the English accents and instead i felt this is more Blazing Saddles, very un-pc, whilst gently goosing (oo-er) its chosen genre.

It is immature and crude, but the laughs were consistent enough, its a comedy notion which would usually have a B grade budget, but has somehow been made with an A grade budget and for me that was part of its charm. Its like the slackers broke into the set of Lord of the Rings and mucked about all weekend and managed to film it.

Maybe i did the right thing in retrospect, sometimes its better to watch something after the dust has settled, just watch this cold and i'll bet you'd enjoy it. In years to come i think this film will have quite a loyal following, across a certain demographic, including me.

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Red Riding Hood (2011)/Movie Review

Release Date: 11 March 2011 (USA)  Runtime:  100 min

Genres:   Fantasy | Horror | Mystery | Thriller

Taglines: Believe the legend. Beware the wolf.

Directed byCatherine Hardwicke

Writing credit(WGA)  David Johnson

Original Music by Alex Heffes & Brian Reitzell

Cinematography by Mandy Walker

Filming Locations:

Canadian Motion Picture Park Studios, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada 

STORYLINE

Valerie (Seyfried) is a beautiful young woman torn between two men. She is in love with a brooding outsider, Peter (Fernandez), but her parents have arranged for her to marry the wealthy Henry (Irons). Unwilling to lose each other, Valerie and Peter are planning to run away together when they learn that Valerie's older sister has been killed by the werewolf that prowls the dark forest surrounding their village. For years, the people have maintained an uneasy truce with the beast, offering the creature a monthly animal sacrifice. But under a blood red moon, the wolf has upped the stakes by taking a human life. Hungry for revenge, the people call on famed werewolf hunter, Father Solomon (Oldman), to help them kill the wolf. But Solomon's arrival brings unintended consequences as he warns that the wolf, who takes human form by day, could be any one of them. As the death toll rises with each moon..

MAIN CASTS

Amanda Seyfried , Gary Oldman , Billy Burke , Shiloh Fernandez , Max Irons , Virginia Madsen , Lukas Haas

Julie Christie , Shauna Kain , Michael Hogan , Adrian Holmes , Cole Heppell , Christine Willes , Michael Shanks , Kacey Rohl

Box Office

Budget: $42,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend: $14,005,335 (USA) (13 March 2011) (3030 Screens)

Gross: $37,652,565 (USA) (22 May 2011)

Production Co: Warner Bros. Pictures, Appian Way, Random Films

REVIEW

Red Riding Hood is...Good enough!

I've read quite a few reviews here and was truly surprised about the supremely negative feedback. "The Grimm brothers would roll in their graves," someone wrote. My response to that is: "Really, would they now?" I believe a bit of research on the subject would do some quite a bit of good. The brothers Grimm -which weren't the original story tellers of 'Rotkaeppchen' as they called it- told folktales, not fairy tales…they were the very first tabloid writers and although their stories all had a grain of truth at the very core, the brothers wrote them to feed into peoples believes, superstitions and prejudice in central Europe in the 1800…their tales were often capricious and usually cruel, showing very little moral. It took generations of translations and retelling to soften the originals enough to be considered bedtime stories because the originals would have provoked nightmares in grown man at their time. Does anyone know what the significance is of the name Peter and why he wears black throughout the entire film?? I'd love to read your ideas about that. The film is a nice translation…yet another one. And by far closer based on the Grimm brothers vision than the stories we all were told as kids. I did see a bit of parallel to Twilight but only because both, this film and all the Twilight movies were filmed in Vancouver and surely used the same scenery. The Storyline is based on the folktale and (in my opinion) it has been done rather well.

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