Walker’s book review: Catching Fire
The book, Catching Fire, is written by Suzanne Collins and is the second book in the Hunger Games trilogy. It still follows the story of Katniss and Peeta, but it is the aftermath of the 74th Hunger Games. Katniss and Peeta are now living in the Victors Village (where Hunger Games victors live) and are begging to go on their victory tour. While on it, they learn that there is a possible rebellion that could take place within the country against the main city, The Capital. Katniss and Peeta’s town gets new leaders and becomes stricter because of this rebellion. A few weeks later, Katniss and her family watch to see what kind of games will occur this year, since this is the 75th games and they do some twist on the games every 25 years. Katniss then realizes that a big change is about to happen in her life.
I absolutely loved this book. It continued the story of the first book so well. Since the first book was all about the games and Katniss’ and Peeta’s journey to the games, I did not know how the author was going to interrupt that into the second book, but she did it so well. I also liked how she exposed the truth behind The Capital and their main concern in the second book.
One of the things that I did not like about this book was that its beginning kind of dragged on. When you read a book and are excepting excitement and action, and the begging is just about Katniss’ and Peeta’s new life, it drags. Do not get me wrong, I think that doing this was crucial to what is later to come in the book, but nothing really exciting happens until the later chapters, unlike the first book.
Catching Fire was the perfect sequel to The Hunger Games. It was a little boring in the beginning, but the rest of the book made up for that. I recommend anyone who has read the first book to read the second one, and I do not doubt that they will. Catching Fire is an awesome book and is worth the money and time you will spend on it.
Review by Emma Walker
Dott’s movie review: Water for Elephants
The movie, Water for Elephants, was released into theaters on April 22, 2011 and was released on DVD on November 1, 2011. The movie is told through the eyes of a 93-year-old man, Jacob Jankowski who reminisces about his life during the Depression.
Jacob, played by Robert Pattinson, gets a job at a circus where he has to deal with the abusive ringleader, August, played by Christoph Waltz and starts to develop feelings for Augusts’ wife, Marlena, played by Reese Witherspoon. Water for Elephants is categorized as a dramatic romance and runs around 97 minutes. The movie is rated PG-13 for moments of violence and sexual content. (So if your parents don’t endorse violence or kissing scenes, you may not want to buy this movie.) The director of Water for Elephants is Francis Lawrence.
When I first saw the previews of Water for Elephants, I really didn’t think it was going to be all that interesting. I’m normally not into romantic movies. But while staying with my close friend over the weekend, we were flipping through the channels and we decided to watch Water for Elephants and I was surprised when I really loved the movie. For starters, I love movies with Robert Pattinson starring in them. So that automatically was a thumbs up movie for me. (But if you’re anticipating to see him shirtless, don’t.)
I love how in the movie, Jacob, played by Robert Pattinson, takes care of the new elephant, Rosie, after ring leader, August, decides to be abusive towards her. I also liked how Jacob figured out that the reason that Rosie won’t do as she is told by August is because she doesn’t understand English. She only listens to commands spoken in Polish. I also liked how the ending happened. I won’t really go into detail because I don’t want to ruin the movie for anyone who hasn’t seen the movie or for anyone who plans to see it.
There really wasn’t any part of the movie that I didn’t like. Except for a few graphic moments when August was beating Rosie. But despite the violence, Water for Elephant was a pretty great movie. I would recommend it to anyone interested in dramatic romances.
Review by Brooklyn Dotts
Graham’s Movie Review: Mirror Mirror
We all have something that reminds us of a simpler time, when life’s biggest problems were deciding what cereal to have for breakfast and what games to play at recess. Even the smallest reminder of something so sentimental can trigger a million different memories and emotions. For some, it may be an old teddy bear they used to sleep with, or a cartoon they used to watch every morning before school. For me, however, it is Disney movies. So, when a new version of the classic Disney princess movie, Snow White, came out in theaters, naturally I was excited.
Mirror Mirror, starring Julia Roberts and Lily Collins, premiered on March 30. It was rated PG, directed by Tarsem Singh, and lasted 106 minutes. In this updated version, Roberts plays the wicked queen who has taken over the kingdom after the passing of her husband. Snow White, played by Collins, is forced to live in exile for most of her life. However, on her eighteenth birthday, Snow White discovers the damage the queen has done, and must fight for her right to the throne.
While the plot of this movie differs somewhat from the original, I was still very pleased with it. The important aspects, such as Snow White’s camaraderie with the seven dwarves, her courage in standing up against the queen and her love for the Prince are all intact, with a little humor and quirkiness thrown into the mix. With a diverse plot of comedy, romance, drama and action, this movie has something for everyone.
Review Alyson Graham
Walker’s Movie Review: The Hunger Games
The new film based on the book by Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games, came out in theaters on March 23. It stars Jennifer Lawrence, Liam Hemsworth, Elizabeth Banks, Josh Hutcherson and Woody Harrelson. The film is directed by Gary Ross, rated PG-13, and runs for 2 hours and 22 minutes.
This film is about the journey of two tributes from the twelve districts of the new post-apocalypse that are fighting to the death against tributes from the twelve other districts. world in the Hunger Games. The two quickly find that they have a lot to learn. They are mentored by the only winner from District 12, Haymitch, (Harrelson) on how to try to stay alive in the games. A few days after the games actually start the two learn that if they are the last ones standing, they will both win. They then have to learn to work together if they want to survive the games.
This is the first film I have ever seen where it was almost an exact replica of the book. Since most of the book was Katniss’ thoughts, they added extra scenes between multiple characters to explain what is going on. That was the best thing the makers of the film have ever done. It really helped the audience from getting confused on what is happening. The film was also very long, and if they had not done that, I feel like the film would not have stood up to the expectation that it would be the first really great film in a long time.
The only thing I did not like is that it changed a major scene between the two main characters. This scene really set the mood for the second book. Since this is a big point in the second book, if they make a second movie, it will not make that much sense. I feel like if it was included, it would have had the audience even father on the edges of their seats.
Overall, this film lived up to the book. It had everything in there, with the exception of the ending, that was in the book. I do recommend seeing the movie, but only if you have read the book first. It did not disappoint.
Review by Emma Walker
Dott’s Movie Review: The Hunger Games
The movie, The Hunger Games, was released into theaters on March 23, 2012 and is rated PG-13 and runs approximately 2 hours and 22 minutes. The rating is mostly based on the fact that the movie features various violent scenes. The Hunger Games is categorized as Sci-Fi/Fantasy and Action/Adventure. The two main characters are played by Jennifer Lawrence (Katniss Everdeen) and Josh Hutcherson (Peeta Mellark).
I personally have already read all three books in The Hunger Games series. (And the movie will probably make more sense if you’ve read the book.) So I was really excited to see the movie. And I wasn’t surprised when I totally loved it. I loved the people the director casted to play Katniss and Peeta. I also loved the fact that the director followed the book, meaning they didn’t add or subtract scenes from the book. I was afraid that The Hunger Games would be really violent, and some parts were pretty sketchy, but for the most part, it wasn’t all that violent. (If I had a strong enough stomach to watch it, you’ll manage.)
I loved the heart breaking moments throughout the movie. For example, at the beginning of The Hunger Games at what the Districts call “The Reaping”, Katniss has to watch her younger sister, Prim, be chosen as a Tribute. And then Katniss volunteers herself in place of her sister. I had a few tears reach my eyes just because it’s sad knowing that either one of them is going to have to be a Tribute and fight for their life. I also loved how the director showed the relationship between Katniss and Peeta and Katniss and Gale (Katniss’ friend from home, District 12). I liked how Katniss really can’t decide who she wants to be with without hurting either Peeta or Gale. Overall, I really loved the movie and I’m super excited to see the next film, Catching Fire.
The last thing that I really liked of the movie was the ending. And I’m normally not a person to enjoy the ending of movies. In the book, The Hunger Games, it ended a little differently than the movie did. But it left me wanting more so I will most definitely be going to see the second movie in the series.
I really loved this entire movie. I can’t think of a single thing that I didn’t enjoy. I would recommend this movie to 1.) Anyone who has read the trilogy and 2.) Anyone who is interested in Science Fiction and fantasy movies The Hunger Games is a great movie and I recommend it to anyone.
Review by Brooklyn Dotts
Walker’s Book Review: Marked
Marked is the first book in the House of Night series and is written by P.C. and Kristin Cast.
This book is about a girl, Zoey, who is trying to survive the change into a vampire. Teenagers that have the mark (half-crescent moon) are considered young vampires (fledglings) and go to a four-year school to help them survive the change. While she is there, she deals with all of the drama of a normal high school years, meets friends and some enemies and discovers that she is much more than an average fledgling.
I really enjoyed this book. I thought that it might be like the book Twilight, but it is something completely different. I like how the authors included the everyday high school life into the book. It really helped the readers connect to the character, since most readers are high-school age. I also enjoyed how they made the main character stand out in the school, and have her overcome her obstacles in a whole new way.
The thing I didn’t like is the way Zoey had to overcome her obstacles. She had to become one of the “bad guys” to help change the school. I really did not want to see that happen, but it worked out in the end.
I recommend this book to anyone who likes a good fictional story that has some mystery in it, and even a little romance. I do warn that this is a book that is more for an audience that can handle more mature scenes. This book is worth the money and will have one wanting to read all of the others.
Review by Emma Walker
Walker’s Book Review: Betrayed
Betrayed is the second book in the House of Night Series. It is written by P.C and Kristin Cast. The book follows Zoey as she learns more about here incredibly rare new powers. Zoey is still in her first year of her four-year vampire school. Her friends return as well as her enemies. Her friends learn that they each have a new power that is related to Zoey somehow. As the book goes along, Zoey learns more and more about her new self, and others, everyday.
I really enjoyed this book. Something about fantasy and mythical creatures really interest me, so if that interests someone, this is the book for them. Most of the main characters came back, so that kept the book alive and interesting. The biggest thing that was an improvement in this book from the first one is that they improved the clique of the more noticeable people that they had in the first one. It is more friendly and judging and I like that in a book.
The thing I did not like in this book was that they turned Zoey’s old friends and family against her. It really made the book seem more depressing because she could not even relay on her own family, and all of her old friends became heartless people.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. I recommend this book, but, like the first one, someone should only watch it if they are on a high-school age maturity level. It is worth the time and money one reads on it, and will have one wanting more. If one does read this book, just read Marked first and it will make a whole lot more sense.
Review by Emma Walker
Osborn’s Review: Battlefield 3
Battlefield 3 is the eleventh game in the Battle Field franchise. The first of these games was Battlefield 1942 and it was released in 2002. This game is the typical FPS (First Person Shooter), but it adds a realism factor into it. This game is available for Xbox 360 and PS3.
Battlefield 3 starts off a brand new single player campaign. This starts a new campaign, because the other battlefield games do not have campaigns. One thing that all the battlefield games have, and have an excellent reputation in, is their online multiplayer.
The multiplayer is the main highlight in Battlefield 3. They focus most of their attention on the multiplayer and the multiplayer has many good parts to it, such as the bullet drop feature. The drop feature is where when you shoot a gun the bullet will drop depending on the distance of the impact. Another good part of the multiplayer experience is the amazing graphics that come along with it. All of the buildings, guns, and various debris looks so realistic. It is almost as you are in the game.
One bad part of the game is the lag compensation on the PS3. The lag compensation ruins the experience for all players. It doesn’t allow fair connection of the players. People with good connections will end up with bad connections and people with bad connections will end up with good connections, in comparison. This then makes the game unplayable if you have good connections.
This game is overall a good game and I can’t wait for the next Battlefield, Battlefield Bad Company 3, to come out so I can buy it.
Review by Todd Osborn
Walker’s Review on Journey 2: The Mysterious Island
The film Journey 2: The Mysterious Island is a new 2012 film starring Dwayne Johnson, Michael Caine, Josh Hutcherson, Vanessa Hudgens and Luis Guzman. It is rated PG and runs for 94 minutes.
This film is about a boy (Hutcherson) who convinces his mom and step-dad (Johnson) to let him go look for his grandpa (Caine) on the Mysterious Island.
They find two locals (Hudgens and Guzman) to take them to the island. They end up on the island and find adventure and the grandpa. They soon realize they have about three days to get off the island before it sinks back into the ocean for another 70 years.
By the previews, I thought it was more for a younger audience, and that it would not be for me. To my surprise, though, I really enjoyed it. It was very interesting and I found it to be funny and even hilarious at some points. I thought that Johnson and Guzman worked well together and played off each other well.
The only thing that I disliked about the film was when they were looking for a way off the island, a section of that was shortened into a type of montage. I thought that if they showed more of that, it would have been a better film.
Overall, it was a really good film. It was worth the hour and a half that it lasts, and the money. I recommend going to see this film. Everyone, friends or family, will have a good time.
Review by Emma Walker
Well’s Review on “Chronicle”
Chronicle is a new 2012 film starring Dane DeHaan, Alex Russell and Michael B. Jordan. It is directed Josh Trank and written by Max Landis, and it is rated PG-13.
Chronicle is about three high school students who become friends after discovering an alien-like object that they gain telepathic super powers from. They have fun at first, but then things then spiral out of control when one friend becomes stronger and more powerful than the others.
I really liked this movie. I liked how it was put together, kind of a classic story of the outcast gaining friends and becoming popular. I thought that it was put together well and was very suspenseful. Chronicle was a very surprising movie and I never knew what was going to happen next.
What I did not like about it was how it ended. I do not like that it ended with sort of a question, keeping me from fully understanding what happened in the movie. If they do not make a sequel to this movie, the ending will have no meaning what so ever.
So, I recommend that if someone is thinking of seeing this movie, do it. It is worth the time, money and effort of having to leave your house.
Review by Ethan Wells
McGuire’s Review on “A Child Called It”
The book A Child Called “It”by Dave Pelzer is a very touching story. The man who wrote this book based it off of his own life. I love the book but, it did make me cry. Books like this make me want to save those children.
In the book a little boy named Dave Pelzer is abused by his mother. He is starved, beaten and he feels worthless. It is truly unreal what happens to the boy. He is punched, slapped and once even stabbed. His mother forces him to do all of his chores in record time and if he doesn’t make that time, he doesn’t get fed.
He started stealing food just to survive. When his mother found out about this, she did horrible things to him that is unbelievable. One time she forced him to throw up and then eat it. He began to question his life and the reason for living it.
Many people don’t realize that some kids really have to live their everyday lives like this boy did. People could read this book and have an understanding of what child abuse is. In this case the abuse was quite severe. I recommend that everyone read this book. It has meaning and a true life experience.
Story by Taylor McGuire
Dott’s Review on “The Vow”
Review – The Vow
The Vow is a dramatic, romantic, yet based on true events, movie that came out on February 10, 2012 starring Channing Tatum and Rachel McAdams.
The movie was directed by Michael Sucsy and is rated PG-13. McAdams plays Paige and Tatum plays her husband, Leo. Paige and Leo are in a tragic car accident that erases her memory of everything, including her husband, Leo. Tatum playing Leo must go through all the challenges and regain Paige’s love all over again.
I went and saw The Vow and I absolutely loved it. It was one of the sweetest, yet depressing in a way, movie I have ever seen. (Apart from The Titanic.) I love how Leo had the patience to help Paige and I understand his frustration. I loved the drama between Leo and Paige and Paige’s parents. Paige’s parents believe that she should move in with them because they thought it would help her recovery. But Leo agreed with the doctor and tried to get her to come home with what he was to her, a complete stranger. This movie was heart wrenching because as hard as Paige tried to remember Leo, she couldn’t. Yet it was sweet that Leo was actually attempting to help her recovery despite that she couldn’t remember her old life.
The only thing I didn’t like about the movie was the ending. Paige still hadn’t recovered her memory and Leo was still in the process of getting her to fall back in love with him. I wanted Paige to regain her memory by the end but supporting the fact the movie is based on true facts, she doesn’t. And if they had changed the story plan, the movie wouldn’t be based on true events anymore.
Overall, I loved this movie. I freaking loved it. It was a very sweet and romantic movie that I would recommend to any couple. But keep this in mind: Bring some tissues. You’re going to need them for sure.
Review by Brooklyn Dotts
Graham’s Review on “The Vow”
Most love stories have the same basic plot structure; the couple meets unexpectedly, they fall in love, a romantic montage ensues and the tragedy strikes. They spend the next several scenes working on the process of recovering their relationship, and almost always get back together.
Unfortunately, The Vow, directed by Michael Sucsy, was no exception. The movie was rated PG-13, and had a run-time of 104 minutes.
While this plot is generally very pleasing to its viewers, it can begin to be very predictable. Although I enjoyed The Vow, I find a hard time giving it a good review for this reason. The acting was good, thanks to Channing Tatum and Rachel McAdams, and the movie was definitely touching, but I wasn’t ever really surprised.
In my opinion, there was really nothing to set this movie apart from the hundreds of other romantic movies that are constantly in theaters. Just like with the other movies, we laugh, we cry and walk out of the theater with a warm heart and a whole new perspective on love and life. Let’s face it, everyone is a sucker for a good love story, but I for one am ready for something new.
Review by Alyson Graham
Well’s Review: The Woman in Black
The Woman in Black is a 2012 film directed by James Watkins and stars Daniel Radcliff as the main character. The film is about a widowed lawyer, Arthur Kipps, who is assigned to go and take care of an estate that was recently abandoned by the deceased owner.
Arthur soon begins to see a woman in black standing outside of the estate. He then learns that every time this woman is seen, a child dies.
This movie is rated PG-13 and runs 95 minutes.
I really enjoyed this movie because it was new kind of horror movie and I had never seen anything like it before. It was very suspenseful and you never knew what was going to happen next.
The bad part about the movie was that it should have been longer. I mean that the story was mashed into only an hour and a half, and I think that it would have been better if it were longer.
I recommend any one who is interested to go see this movie. It will be worth the time and money you spend on it.
Review by Ethan Wells
Review: Face Off
Face Off is an original series premiering on the TV channel SyFy, (Science Fiction). Face Off is a game show featuring makeup artists who have to compete against each other to see who is most talented. Face Off is hosted by McKenzie Westmore. A professional make-up artist Ve Neill, director Patrick Tatopoulos and designer Glenn Hetrick, judges the artists. Along with having to compete in multiple “Spotlight and Foundation Challenges”, which test the skills of the various artists, the winner of the 14 contestants will receive $100,000 and a year’s supply of make-up.
I already love the SyFy channel so when the network started previewing the show Face Off, I was really excited to watch it. I love the different challenges the artists have to complete. They’ve had contests from creating looks from different phobias, to creating a look that could stay together under water.
At the beginning of the series, there are 14 artists, and so far, every challenge results in someone going home for not being able to prove their skill. Another thing I love about the show is the drama. I love watching the artist bump heads when they disagree on looks and what will look the best. It just spices the show up in a way. And it’s just amazing to watch the artist be put to work under extreme pressure and still create astonishing creations.
The only factor that I don’t really like about the show is that every challenge, the winner earns “immunity”. This means that the next challenge the artists have, the artist who earned “immunity” cannot be sent home that week. It’s nice to reward the artist, but out in the real world, doing a good job on one creation doesn’t mean it’ll always save them from getting fired from their job or from being criticized. They should just realize they done a good job and have to try just as hard on the next challenge.
Face Off is a really cool show that airs on the channel SyFy. And anyone who is interested in game shows and challenges should really tune into this show. I highly recommend it.
Story by Brooklyn Dotts
Review: Priest
The 2011 movie, Priest, is about a priest in a post-apocalyptic world who is going to rescue his niece from vampires after they kidnapped her and killed her parents. The priest, a town sheriff and a priestess fight various types of monsters, including vampires, on their way to finding his niece.
The movie stars Paul Bettany as the priest. The film is directed by Scott Stewart and runs 87 minutes. It is rated PG-13.
For me, it was very boring and dull. It was not long enough to capture the plot. It crammed every point all together. I also did not like the whole idea of what priests were in the future and how they had to act.
The only good thing about it was that it was only an hour and a half long. I’m kidding. The good thing is that the overall theme of this movie (dark times) fit well with the story.
I would not recommend seeing film. If they make a second movie that explains it better, it might be a better movie. Other than that, do not rent or buy this movie.
Review by Ethan Wells
Review: The Clique
I have recently watched a movie called The Clique produced by Tyra Banks. In my opinion it was a good movie, but I wouldn’t watch it again. Bridget Mendler plays in this movie as a girl in the clique. The movie is based on the book series of the same name by Lisi Harrison. The film is 80 minutes long.
The story is about a girl who moves from Florida, named Claire. Claire’s family can not afford a place of their own so they stay with friends. Claire meets the daughter of the family they are staying with, Massie. Massie has a goal, to make Claire’s life miserable.
At the school they attend, fashion is a form of self-expression. Claire is different and does not dress like everyone else. Claire wants nothing more but to fit in so she decides to take matters in her own hands and things make a turn for the worst.
The movie was good except during the whole movie Massie kept making me so mad. I did not like the way that Massie talked. It made the whole movie look like that if you do not have money and are not gorgeous, then you are nothing. But, other than those things I thought it was a good movie that shows girls that they need to be them, and not what other people want you to be.
Story by Taylor McGuire
Review: Farewell to Manzanar
I just finished reading the book Farewell to Manzanar for English class. Farewell to Manzanar is a biography written by a Japanese woman named Jeanne Wakatsuki who as a young girl was put in a camp for people of Japanese ancestry. The book took place during World War II. The book Farewell to Manzanar is filled with history and the experiences Jeanne Wakatsuki deals with while in Manzanar.
I really enjoyed reading Farewell to Manzanar. I’m not usually interested in history but this book actually made it interesting. The author didn’t go overboard with facts about the history which is good considering most kids get bored easily. Jeanne Wakatsuki was put in a camp for Japanese people and the living conditions were a step above an animal but I enjoyed reading how her and her family dealt with it. I liked reading how the Japanese people were outcasts pretty much because of their ancestry.
I also liked reading how Jeanne Wakatsuki had a hard time fitting in at school because she was oriental. Jeanne Wakatsuki fit in academically but not socially because most kids in her school were prejudice. But being oriental didn’t stop her because towards the end of the book, Jeanne Wakatsuki became Carnival Queen after a friend heard ladies in the office talk about the risks of an oriental girl becoming Carnival Queen. She stood up and beat the other girls in the competition. I liked how she overcame the fact that she was oriental and an outcast. It just shows that race doesn’t mean anything and that if you really want something, don’t let anything stop you.
The only part that I didn’t like of the book was some parts are hard to follow. Jeanne Wakatsuki is put into Manzanar with her family which included: her mama, papa, sisters, brothers, brother-in-laws, sisters-in-laws and her Grammy. It’s hard to keep track of who is who. If the author had told more about each character then it might have been easier to follow. Or if the author had used each character more often throughout the story, I might have been able to follow along better.
The book Farewell to Manzanar was overall a very good book. It’s filled with history of World War II and the story of a Japanese woman who overcomes being an outcast. Anyone interested in reading about wars, segregation, or overcoming the odds, would really enjoy Farewell to Manzanar.
By Brooklyn Dotts
Walker’s Review: The Hunger Games
The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins, is a book about 24 kids, ages 12 to 18 that are thrown into an arena filled with situations causing them to turn against each other. The book takes place after the apocalypse of the world. This new world is cruel which is satisfying to the capital who tries to keep the fellow people in the country in check. These “tributes” compete for their lives and the glory of rewards, while every move they make is aired on TV for everyone to watch. When Katniss Everdeen volunteers to go in these deathly games in place of her sister, the tables turn. She faces many obstacles but as the games go on Katniss’s true obstacles are trying to fight for humanity.
I liked this book because it introduced something that I had never read before. I also liked Collins’ idea of the book and how a group of people could be so cruel. It was also very well written and matched the theme very well.
I personally couldn’t find anything wrong with the book. Some people might not like it because there are a lot of injuries and deaths, and they might not be able to handle the graphics of it.
The Hunger Games is coming soon to theatres. I would recommend everyone to read the book before seeing the movie. It is an excellent book and it’s hard not to love it.
Emma Walker
Walker’s Book Review on the Hunger Games
The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins, is a book about 24 kids, ages 12 to 18 that are thrown into an arena filled with situations causing them to turn against each other. The book takes place after the apocalypse of the world. This new world is cruel which is satisfying to the capital who tries to keep the fellow people in the country in check. These “tributes” compete for their lives and the glory of rewards, while every move they make is aired on TV for everyone to watch. When Katniss Everdeen volunteers to go in these deathly games in place of her sister, the tables turn. She faces many obstacles but as the games go on Katniss’s true obstacles are choosing the right thing to do and standing up for what’s right.
I liked this book because it introduced something that I had never read before. I also liked Collins’ idea of the book and how a group of people could be so cruel. It was also very well written and matched the theme very well.
I personally couldn’t find anything wrong with the book. Some people might not like it because there are a lot of injuries and deaths, and they might not be able to handle the graphics of it.
The Hunger Games is coming soon to theatres. I would recommend everyone to read the book before seeing the movie. It is an excellent book and it’s hard not to love it.
Emma Walker
Review: Breaking Dawn
Many are familiar with the Twilight Saga, for over two years the series has sent many adolescent girls everywhere in a frenzy. I too have read the books and have seen the movies. Although I do not think I could call myself “obsessive” over the books and movies; however they are interesting reading material. The Twilight Saga movie production of the series has not been near as disappointing as I imagined.
Breaking Dawn, the first part of the fourth book came out in theaters November 18 of this year, along with many other girls and boys around the world I too went and watched the movie. Throughout the series I questioned whether they could really make the last movie as good as what the book had been. From start to finish Breaking Dawn as relatively close to the book, but certain details were altered and at times scenes were entirely different. I am aware that some scenes just will not work in a movie, but I do believe that sometimes sticking to what had originally been published is best.
When I first sat down to watch this movie for the first time I questioned if this movie was really worth it, because the amount of twelve year old girls in the theater was unsettling. The movie started okay, but suddenly Bella and Edward were married and kissing. I had no idea where it came from. For about 5 minutes, I had sat there thinking of how badly they may have butchered the movie. Within 30 minutes of the movie, I started to get disappointed, just by how fast the movie switched from place to place. It seemed like the director could have done a little better job at tying all of the events together rather than being in Forks, then ending up dancing on a street and somehow ending up in a boat.
The only part I was actually really impressed with was the scene where Bella was giving birth to her child; they captured the seriousness of the situation along with the emotion of the characters presented in the book.
Even though I am somewhat disappointed with the time frame of the movie, the feel of the movie was pretty good. Kristen Stewart’s acting improved as well, instead of being a stuttering fool, her awkward persona in general somewhat disappeared. She seemed more comfortable with being an actress in a very popular movie series than the previous movies. The visual effects in the movie were also very good, the wolves looked better than what they had when they had first been introduced in the second and third movie.
I admit the movie was better than I expected but I still feel that some of the not so good things should not be present this late in the series. All the kinks should have been worked out in the first and second movie. Breaking Dawn earned a 4.8 out of a ten point scale in the box office. This is not the best rating compared to the previous movies. I agree with this because they spent quite some time working on the movie it could have been a little better in my opinion.
Brianna Phillips
Review: Breaking Dawn 1
Breaking Dawn part one is the beginning of the end for the Twilight saga. Based off the novels written by Stephanie Meyer, the director of the movie is Bill Condon. The movie stars Taylor Lautner, Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart. This film is rated PG-13.
The movie Breaking Dawn is mostly about Bella (Stewart) and her pregnancy, because she is slowly dying and their trying to find a way to help her and keep her and the baby alive.
I personally didn’t enjoy the movie as much as I thought I would. I thought it would be the best movie of the series that they have made so far, but I didn’t think it was the best in the series, like the commercials say it is. I didn’t like it because it was just about her being pregnant and that’s it.
I did like the make-up work in the movie. The makeup artist Stacey Panepinto did really well with the actor’s makeup. Also if you have a squeamish stomach I don’t recommend seeing the movie.
Breaking Dawn wasn’t awful in my opinion but I wouldn’t want to go see it again and I most likely won’t buy it when it comes out on DVD.
Victoria Kesterson
Review: Skyrim
Skyrim is the fifth game in the Elder Scroll’s series. It isn’t a continuation of the games, but they are all connected together in a way of the maps.
Skyrim offers over 300 hours of game play and every quest differs in an extremely different way. This game also has the basic components of a RPG, but it has way deeper combat mechanics and bartering system.
This game takes off as you being an unknown person and soon after you discover who you are going to be playing as. Then, you choose your class and what you look like. There are many classes, such as: orcs, elves and humans. After the tutorial part of the game, you get to go into the open world and freely play. Once you level up high enough, or you complete part of the main quest line, you get to fight random dragons that attack you.
Some good parts of this game are the combat system and the huge world that is available to play in. The combat system is very well planned out. It offers the ability to wield a sword and use spells at the same time. Another cool part of the combat system is the finishing moves. There are endless possibilities of finishing moves and they all depend on where you are standing, the weapon you are holding and the opponent the player is facing. The map is also extremely large, so the player gets to roam around and faced random opponents who want to fight. There are also many towns and settles the player can attack or help out.
A bad part of this game is the graphics. The graphics are great as a whole, but when you get up and close to some things, they glitch out. You can sometimes see through them or they’ll flash different colors and start to spas out.
Overall this is a very good game and I plan on playing all 300+ hours of game play before I even think about moving onto another game. I can’t wait for the next game in the Elder Scrolls series to come out.
Todd Osborn
Review: Breaking Dawn 1
Breaking Dawn is the fourth and final book in Stephanie Meyer’s vampire series. (Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse and Breaking Dawn) Breaking Dawn came out on November 18, 2011 and is still currently showing in theatres.
In Breaking Dawn Part 1, human Bella Swan marries vampire Edward Cullen. Agreeing to this marriage also means that Edward has to turn Bella into a vampire himself. Bella’s friends and family are still unaware of Edward’s true identity. Bella must also choose between being with Edward and being friends with wolf Jacob Black. In addition to all the drama, an event during the honeymoon surprises everyone. Bella becomes pregnant with Edward’s baby.
I loved the movie. I love the choices Bella has to make when it comes to who she wants to be friends with and what she is willing to give up. When Bella becomes pregnant, I really liked how it seemed impossible considering Edward is “dead.” Another detail I liked is now that Bella is married, with a baby; Edward must follow in on his part of the deal. Bella has to become a vampire. But this also means Edward will be breaking the deal the Cullens have with the wolves. Bella will to become dead after Edward changes her. This is going to cause feuding. I really like the suspense of what’s going to happen in the next part of the movie. It also makes me wonder how Bella becoming a vampire will affect the Swan family.
The only part of the movie that I didn’t enjoy was the ending. The last thing the viewer sees is Bella opening her red eyes after being changed and the movie ends. The ending left me irritated because I wanted to see more of the movie.
Other than the ending leaving me wanting more, I loved this movie. It’s the best Twilight movie they’ve produced yet. I can not wait for Breaking Dawn Part 2 to show in theatres.
By Brooklyn Dotts
