Skip to main content

The Giver Review

What I liked: This was actually a pretty good adaptation. I went in with the open question: when you read this in English and then watch the movie will it be valuable? I believe the answer is yes. I think the did a good job introducing the memories and there is enough interesting cinematography that is easy enough to pick up on most 8th graders could write their 5 page essay fairly easily. I was impressed with the acting by the kid’s dad. If you paid attention I think it brought up some interesting add on questions that are probably good to think about and would make pretty good high school level essays: were the people living in the dystopia actually that at ease with their world? what implications are there for the individuals living in the community upon the return of the memories? The movie took a decidedly positive approach which is appropriate for the grade level, though watching it you can clearly see the darker alternative that the producers chose not to present.

What I didn’t: The addition of the previous receiver of memories seemed fairly forced and a bit out of place. Maybe the writers thought it was necessary to give characters stronger motivations; I think the movie would have been more streamlined without it. I thought the drones were weird and again unnecessary. Given the prescribed plot and characters, I thought it was overall quite good.

Who should watch this: Let’s be honest. Every 8th grader in public school for the next 60 years until they make another version.

Would I watch it again? When I have a child in 8th grade.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Ready Player One Review

What I liked: I bet all of the developers loved making this film, I saw so many video game and movie references in the background of scenes. I bet all the developers just inserted their favorites like the ninja turtles, a whole platoon of halo soldiers, and orcs. That it was a video game made it possible and exciting to have all kinds of absolutely random physics and logic defying things happen. Obviously, I loved the T. Rex and who would not enjoy seeing Mechagodzilla or a cyborg orc driving a monster truck? Early in the movie they made good use of the video game architecture in a way that reminded me a bit of secret rooms in super mario. The characters visit the world of the Shining, which was amazing and hilarious. I loved the variety of characters, vehicles and weapons that we get to see and it is more fun (at least for me) that they draw from more than strictly the 1980's. I also really liked the music, for the most part the selections were great for the scenes. The book was...
3 comments
Read more

Solo Reveiw

What I liked: The architecture of a heist movie has 4 stages: stage 1 explain how hard the job is, stage 2 come up with a ridiculously elaborate plan to accomplish the job and acquire hard to find equipment, stage 3 execute the plan but something goes terribly wrong, stage 4 sneaky twist and huge pay off. The Solo movie takes the bold move of streamlining the first two and a half steps, picking up with stage 3.5 "Something goes terribly wrong". This saves everyone the slow wind up to the actual action. This saved time translates into a movie with not one but all the heists. We have grand theft, customs evasion, train robbery, vault robbery, the classic hustle, and of course smuggling. I guess they may have tried to crowd too a little much in because they also almost always skip stage 4. This stage skipping also means that we don't know if the things they are doing are actually hard or they are just incompetent. I'm surprised more heist movies don't explore this ...
2 comments
Read more

Wrinkle in Time Review

What I liked: I liked Charles Wallace, that kid was funny. I liked that the ladies in crazy dresses were warriors and that the kids were warriors too. You know me I'm all about a good action movie with awesome fighting, but I liked that at least in this universe the defining characteristics of warriors were compassion, kindness, and love. Similarly, I liked that the bad guys weren't launching a massive military conquest of the universe, I mean everyone is doing that these days. Surprisingly, I liked the Mrs's dresses. They were crazy and over the top but it was fun that they changed with every teleportation and that they were completely absurd. The outfits were rather like the Mrs's wearing them, over the top and fantastical. Knowing all of them from other shows I may have had some unfulfilled expectations. At no point did anyone say "You get a wrinkle, and you get a wrinkle, Everyone gets a wrinkle!" which I must admit was a little disappointing. I also think...
2 comments
Read more