Eclipse: My movie review of Book vs. Movie

Well, since I read the books (twice), and reviewed New Moon when it came out, it was inevitable that I was going to do the same for Eclipse.

I took the day off work to watch it with my two older sisters. We each became a little hooked on Twilight in our own way. Eclipse was my 2nd favourite book (Twilight being my fave) out of all of the Twilight saga books, so I was hoping for a great movie...



There were many things I loved about the movie...I loved the fight scenes- the special effects were amazing; loved the proposal scene and other love scenes between Bella and Edward ( what can I say, I love romance!)... The new Vampire, Riley, was fantastic playing his part- I look forward to seeing him as a baddy in other movies.

Hated Jasper's hair (for that matter, every single movie I have hated his hair) to the point of distraction, hated Rosalie's black eyebrows contrasting her blonde hair, and I was a little disappointed with how they treated the "Imprinting" and "Third Wife" and "First Werewolf story".

I think they should've taken out the dream sequence/story visions of Jasper's and Rosalie's transformation (because really, they didn't show anything more than what a few words would have told), and concentrated more on the third wife story. Then, when Bella sacrifices herself, it would be more impacting. This really was a huge theme in the book, through out each book really. Bella saves them each time, whether she believes it or not, and they just kind of brushed over it as if it didn't really happen.



For all the fuss that was made over the changing of one actress to another for the role of Victoria, I don't think it really mattered. I can't remember her uttering more than a line or two, and really, Xavier Samuel did such a good job at Riley, that he kind of stole the show for the baddy award. For what it's worth, Rachelle Leferve suited the role better to me.

There was more violence in this one (but there was always going to be it); more love scenes; more Edward versus Jacob- which is what all of us fans live for! I was happy to watch it simply because there was more Edward- and therefore more Rob Pattinson's face (and I am a Team Edward girl completely), but I was excited to watch it because there was so much more going on, and this is really where the story begins to unfold further and further.

As with any movie from book adaptation, they can never fit it all in. Like I said before with New Moon, it is the book on speed. They basically have taken the essential parts of the book (got rid of the rest), put in a few loves scenes, and bam! There's your screen play.

I would recommend this to anyone who loves the books, or who loves a bit of romance and action thrown in. I probably would say that there are too many lovey-dovey moments for the male population to endure willingly, unless they are into that. Have fun watching it! My sisters said they missed the screams and cheering whenever Jacob and Edward turned up on screen- look at my New Moon review to understand what they were talking about!

So, I would love to hear from those who have watched it. Are you a fan? What did you love? What did you hate? Were there screaming and cheers ion your cinema? Or did you manage to find a bunch of civilised fans?

She's Out Of My League: My movie review

My hubby and I went out for dinner and a movie last night... I wouldn't normally have picked "She's Out Of My League", but since we had already seen "Clash of The Titans" and nothing else really inspired my attention, we watched this. Needless to say, I wasn't expecting much.



I was actually pleasantly surprised by this movie- it certainly wasn't a brain teaser, but if you find silly things funny, then this is the movie for you! I was expecting most of the jokes to be in the preview, but they certainly weren't- and at one stage I was laughing so much that I couldn't breathe.



I must warn you, this is for people with zero maturity level, but, as long as you go in the mood for a good laugh, and don't take it seriously, I recommend it. It isn't for everyone, but if you liked "The Hangover", "The Ugly Truth", "Knocked Up" or perhaps even "American Pie", then you will find "She's Out of my League" funny. This is probably a tamer movie compared to all of them, but it still has it's moments!

"Remember Me": My Movie Review

My sister and I watched the movie, "Remember Me", starring Robert Pattinson and Emilie de Ravin, last night.



I was expecting a half decent movie, with decent people to watch... After all, Pierce Brosnan and Rob Pattinson in the one movie had to be enjoyable to watch! However, I walked away loving Remember Me, and I am still thinking about it this morning, which is why I decided to write about it. Rarely do I see a movie that I constantly think about afterwards. Perhaps the last movie that made me do that was "Avatar".



The movie concentrates on two families, and how they have been dealing with the aftermath of each of their own family tragedy. Those two families are intertwined by the two lovers in the story, Tyler (played by Rob) and Ally (played by Emilie).



I am surprised by the reviews on rottentomatoes.com... there are few that are positive, and it has a pitiful rating. I have no idea why.



The story is actually quite melancholy, and I personally wouldn't really call this a romance (it has romance in it, but to me not enough to really slide into this genre), but if you are looking for drama, then this is a great movie.



Perhaps one of the reasons why I liked it so much was that the ending was unexpected, a bit of a shock, and a little heart-wrenching. I don't want to give it away, but I thought it finished the movie and rounded-off the plot well.



Perhaps the only thing I didn't like about the movie was Pierce Brosnan's attempt at an American accent (or what sounded like he was trying)- but it seemed like he had given up by the time it had reached around half way.



I thought Rob played his character exceptionally well, and I completely forgot about him being Edward Cullen (from Twilight- one of my favourite books) after about 2 minutes into the movie. I look forward to seeing more from this actor, and seeing exactly how versatile he really is.

Follow me on twitter or facebook for more updates of my latest designs and finds!

The Blind Side: My movie review

A friend and I watched Sandra Bullock's new movie last night, "The Blind Side". I hadn't read any reviews or watched any previews; all I knew about it was that Sandra Bullock was in it, and she had an Oscar nomination for it. I thought I had to see it to believe it.

I always like Sandra Bullock movies- they are usually Romantic Comedies, filled with fluff, and very easy to watch- however, she is usually playing the same or very similar character in every movie.

So for those, like me, who do watch her movies, you will be surprised- pleasantly surprised when you watch The Blind Side. For once her character surprises you, and it is completely different to whatever she has done before.



Sandra plays a good willing Christian mother (Mrs Leigh Anne Tuohy) with a family, in a virtually all white society in the Southern States (yes, the accent is there too). Mike Oher is "Big Mike", the homeless boy the Tuohy's take into their home one night, when they feel sorry for him.

Like so many other football/rugby movies (think "Remember the Titans" or the latest one, "Invictus"), this deals with racism and prejudice, but I guess you could say at a more personal level, or perhaps on a level that someone like me could relate to, as the story is based loosely around Mrs Tuohy's point of view.



The Blind Side is a great movie, and one that you could easily send your parents to go and see it, as well as send your husband or boyfriend to see it. I think they have done a good job on creating a movie that is for everyone- easy to watch, has a little bit of humour, has some great acting, and has a moral to the story at the heart of it all. I walked out of the cinema loving it!

New Moon: My movie review of Book vs Movie

So, I am hooked by Twilight... over the past 6 months I have become slightly addicted to the "Twilight Saga"- and I don't usually jump on the band wagon- it takes a lot for me to follow!

To tell you the truth, I went to see the "Twilight" movie a year ago, thinking: it will be so scary, so my Husband had better join me. You see, I had no idea about the books, or about the mania; so I was pleasantly surprised when I realised it was a love story! (my Husband fell asleep).

Then, as I was waiting to fly to Hamilton Island, I wanted a book to read, and the "Twilight" book just jumped out at me. I couldn't put the book down! As soon as I got home from my holiday, I went and bought "New Moon". What started as a great holiday read, ended up in being a slight obsession for a month or so! I have now read all four books.

I am actually completely surprised by the whole experience... I am not one to follow popular culture trends- never have been until now. I hate tabloid magazines and celebrity gossip, but for some reason the hype has sucked me in, and I don't mind it so much now.

What surprises me even further, and everyone else for that matter, is how it has effected so many women. Probably everyone knows someone who has read it, and when I asked my older sisters about it, both had already read them and were fans. Out of all of the women I have spoken to about it, only one has said they didn't like the books.

So my sister's and I attended the double feature lastnight, at the Randwick Ritz cinema. Imagine... a room full of approx 800 women (and about 5 brave- or stupid- men), atleast half screaming whenever Edward Cullen (Rob Pattinson) or Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner) entered the screen. It was a definite atmosphere!





The verdict?

If you like the story line of New Moon, but don't have the patience to read the book, then the movie is perfect. It is basically the book on speed. What I mean is, the movie follows the book's plot very closely- there are a few changes, however minimal- but they had to place a lot into the 2 hour time, so they crammed it in.

I did really enjoy it (with the bonus screaming in the background too!). The wolves special effects were amazing! The eye candy wasn't bad either!

I was expecting a few moments in the start of the movie for "happy Bella and Edward". I know that in the book it gets right into it, but the book explained what he meant to her clearer than the movie. I think the movie should've shown the contrast of Edward and Bella happy, then show them apart; otherwise if you just watched the movie without the book, then you wouldn't really understand the connection they have.

New Moon was a movie that I think more husbands/boyfriends, etc will like. There is more action, less love and more special effects than "twilight"- they will just have to be prepared for some missing t-shirts.



Out of all of the books, New Moon was my least favourite; Twilight was my favourite. Now, for me, the movies are on par with each other; once I have watched New Moon again (with out the bonus background screams and giggles), I no doubt will love it even further.

If you love the books, you will love the movie. If you love Taylor or Rob, then you will love the movie. If you haven't read the books and love romance novels, then you should read them... the vampire/werewolf thing is really just there for entertainment purposes. The books are not scary; Stephenie Meyer was inspired by novels such as Romeo and Juliet, Wuthering Heights, etc. Besides, we all need an escape every now and then!


You can buy the book here.


Will you be watching this film? Do you like the saga? Have you read the books?

Follow me on twitter or facebook for more updates of my latest designs and finds!

Updated: 7th July 2010:
I have also reviewed Eclipse: Movie vs Book on this blog. Let me know what you think!

UP movie review

The hubbie and I watched Disney Pixar's new movie, "UP" on the long weekend. I am truly a big kid at heart, and I love watching cartoons- the hubbie watches them because of me.



While this is still not my favourite Disney/Pixar movie, it was still a lovely film... a little sad for Disney, but I thought the message behind it was really quite sweet.

UP had many moments of humour, and the whole cinema was laughing; but when those sad sections were evident, you could've heard a pin drop- it obviously caught everyone's attention.

We watched UP in 3D- but realistically, it wasn't necessary.

I would recommend this film to "big kids"- adults who enjoy their cartoons and silly adventures. Little kids could still watch it, but it might be a little over their heads.

Make sure you are there for the little introduction from Pixar- a tradition that they always have a little movie before every Disney/Pixar film. Very cute and sweet!

Mao's Last Dancer: Book vs. Movie

My hubbie and I watched a preview screening of "Mao's Last Dancer", last night.

I had only just finished reading the book (of the same name), only a day before, so images and stories from the book were afresh in my mind.

My husband loved the movie, and phoned his parents' directly after the movie, to tell them to go and see it. I enjoyed the movie, and the ballet dancer, Chi Cao, who played Li Cunxin was fantastic! I am not an expert when it comes to Ballet (far from it), but even I could tell he was amazing!

I guess you could say the movie was an inspired version of the book, and they followed some of the story-lines and quotes directly from the book, but they left a lot out... but as the book explains, they had to make an over 400 page book, into a 108 page screen play!

I loved the book, because it was so personal; full of love, hope and passion; sometimes despair. I was surprised by the movie, as I thought they left out some of the crucial moments between his family. I guess they decided to concentrate more on his climb through the ballet ranks, rather than his family struggles- which I guess from a movie-makers point of view, would be more exciting.

I loved the movie because, visually, it was beautiful, and the dancing was amazing! For me, as I have no idea about ballet, the movie was crucial to understand what he was talking about (with some of the moves in the book), and as I said before, Chi Cao was fantastic!

I recommend to go and see the movie, and if you like it, make sure you read the book!

City Snapshot: St. Petersburg, Russia

I have been thinking about doing these "City Snapshots" for a while. My travels have inspired me in so many ways, so I thought it would be a good idea to show you why, and also, its a perfect excuse for me to relive my experience's!

I will start off with the beautiful St.Petersburg! It is probably one of the cities that I have been to, which most people haven't, so it might interest you a little.....


Just from looking at the photos, how could anyone with any artistic/creative talent not be inspired?!! This really is a city of beauty, opulence, and extravagance! Pictured above, I am standing in "The Hermitage", The Winter Palace- it rivals The Louvre in size, collections of art, and grandness.

We visited St.Petersburg in 2006, after going to the World Cup in Germany.



Outside of the Hermitage, with the hubbie. By the way, you can't see all of the Palace above in the photo- it goes on and on!



The Petergof or the Summer Palace. The gardens and surroundings are absolutely lovely! Well worth the trip on the ferry. We visited St.Petersburg in the summer, and while the days were actually fairly warm, the nights (to me) were quite cold. Take a jacket when you go!


Above is pictured the Saviour on Spilled Blood Cathedral. This would have to be my favourite Cathedral/Church in all of Europe. The colours are amazing! It really is just awe inspiring- the main reason being, that every surface inside the cathedral has been covered in mosaics.

The mosaics range from beautiful stylised floral patterns, to pictures depicting saints, to geometric shapes, etc. If you love colour, love meticulous craftsmanship, and love details, then make sure you visit this cathedral if you are ever in St.Petersburg.


Above, one of the doors inside the Hermitage.


One of the very special things we did in St.Petersburg, was to attend a Ballet performance in The Marinski Theatre. Ballet is an integral part of Russian culture, and they take it very seriously. They are often known as the best in the world. The Marinski Theatre (pictured above) would probably be the most opulent and different theatre I have been to. Stunning!


The Petergof above, and below.






The inside of the Marinski Theatre again, above.


Another must-see in St.Petersburg, is the opening of the bridges, at night. It is a boat tour, and at a certain time in the middle of the night (I can't remember when), the bridges open, and you ride around in the canals. Very beautiful.

St.Petersburg is a more "tourist friendly" city, compared to Moscow (more on Moscow later). It has a very Western European feel to it (as you can see in the architecture), but still has that same mysterious quality, that I associate with Russia.

I was lucky, as my husband speaks fluent Russian, so we had no trouble getting around, and we even got to pay local rates - they have 2 set prices usually for attractions; the local price; and the tourist price, which can be inflated by up to 10 times the local amount. Before I went to Russia, and before I met my husband, all I knew of Russia was from James Bond movies (silly, I know!), so to have travelled in Russia was truly an eye-opener, but also an experience that I won't forget!

I would recommend visiting St.Petersburg if you love Western European style, but you want to experience something a little different. St.Petersburg still has its own distinct flavour to it, it is not over-run with tourists (well, it wasn't when we were there), and there are certainly many attractions that are well worth the hassle of the visa and flight.

The Ugly Truth: A Movie Review

My friend and I watched "The Ugly Truth" in the cinema last Friday night.


It basically follows the character, Abbey (Katherine Heigl), who is determined and driven at work, but who drastically needs a make-over in the love department. Enter: Mike (Gerard Butler), the womaniser, and Colin (Eric Winter), the "perfect" man.

I loved this movie- it was hilarious! The restaurant scene was fantastic! The whole audience was laughing in the cinema, and I had never heard so many people exclaim as they walked out, how good it was.

The Ugly Truth is not for the faint-hearted though.... while it still follows a fairly standard plot- it is a lot more gutsy than your average "chick flick". I did hear Katherine Heigl say in an interview, that it was a more "R-rated comedy romance"- maybe not quite, but I wouldn't take my mother to see it!

However, this movie is great in so many ways- it appeals to a wide audience- not just the girls, but I could see most men enjoying this film too. Mainly, it is one of the funniest movies I have seen recently... another is "The Hangover". For me it was a 4.5 out of 5.