Inkheart

Title: Inkheart
Director: Iain Softley
Studio/Year: New Line Cinema/2008
Actors: Brendan Fraser, Eliza Bennett, Andy Serkis, Paul Bettany
Viewer's Rating: 4

Quote: "Since the dawn of time, storytellers have enchanted audiences with their words. But there is an even rarer gift. There are those, who by reading out loud, can bring characters to life. Out of books and into our world. Most of these Silvertongues, as they are known, prefer to keep their skills a secret but some do not even know this gift is theirs, until it is too late."
In a Nutshell: Inkheart. Mortimer, or Mo, as Meggie called him, knew that book well. She knew that there was something special about that book, from the way he always seemed to search for it. She sensed its being different from other books from their first encounter with the man called Dustfinger. She sensed its danger when men dressed in black clothing suddenly appeared. Silvertongue, that's what they called Mo. Taken captive, Meggie discovers that Mo, her father, is a Silvertongue. He could read characters out of books and bring them to life. When she learns that a freed villain has come back to life and is planning to destroy what she loves most, she must find a way to stop him, using something that she has discovered about her own self.

 

The Good Stuff: This movie is about books and stories and characters. Need I say more? (I also loved the scenery, Elinor's library, and the fact that Mo is a bookbinder.)

The Not-So-Good Stuff: There were few, if any. I really liked the plot and the characters.

Viewer's Say: This is one of my favorite movies. Also, it's based on the novel by Cornelia Funke (it also has a series). The movie was really good, but it missed out on some details and events so I recommend you read the book first. :)

[photos from Google Images]

Lemonade Mouth

Title: Lemonade Mouth
Director: Patricia Riggen
Studio/Year: Disney, 2011
Actors: Bridgit Mendler, Adam Hicks, Hayley Kiyoko
Viewer's Rating: 4

Excerpt: "Poets, geniuses, revolutionaries. Lemonade Mouth has been called all of these things. But the real story, the story of our band came to be, is a mystery to them all."

In a Nutshell: Five unlikely friends--Olivia, Wen, Stella, Charlie, and Mo--meet in detention and, like destiny, find themselves playing music together like it was the most natural thing in the world. Upon being heard by the music teacher, they decide to become a band, Lemonade Mouth, and join the school's talent show to prove to the sports-fanatic principal and to the whole school that sports isn't the only thing that matters. The five friends are amazed at how the students gradually accept--and need--them. Lemonade Mouth was their voice, their way to be heard.

The Good Stuff: I may or may not have made Lemonade Mouth sound cheesy but, trust me, it really isn't! I like the message of this movie. Also, there was a budding romance between two of the characters and, because of its being a Disney movie, I thought there would be...*dun dun dun*...kissing. Surprisingly, there was none! :)

The Not-So-Good Stuff: The message of this movie is that everyone has a voice, even children, and everyone has a right to be heard. I personally like it but it may encourage rebellion sooner or later. At least, that's what I think.

Viewer's Say: It was pretty good. It's definitely not just another breezy teen movie. (Also, it's based on a novel by Mark Peter Hughes!)

Serendipity Market

Title: Serendipity Market
Author: Penny Blubaugh
Publisher: HarperTeen
Year of Publication: 2009
Reader's Rating: 3

In a Nutshell: Mama Inez knows that magic is everywhere and, somehow, connected to everything. She invites ten people to the Serendipity Market to tell their stories, every one of them unique and--from a distance--very different from one another. But look closely, and you'll find a common ground in each story--magic.

The Good Stuff: One of the main things I liked in this book was the vocabulary. Works by people with a wide vocabulary just blow me away, and this was one of them. I loved the way the author wrote; it was brilliant. Also, I loved how some of the stories are classic fairy tales but with a twist. They may be told from a different character's point of view, for example, like the lizard-turned-coachman from Cinderella.

The Not-So-Good Stuff: I hope you've taken it into your head by now that this book is about magic and fairies and the like. I'm a Christian and I don't really approve of magic and folklore (faeries, elves, giants, etc.). It made me feel a little uncomfortable reading about them, especially Maisie's story about the elf queen. It made the book a little dark. And one little thing that I didn't like: the Princess and the Pea retold version, where the prince is gay. I have nothing against gays but I really liked the original story better.

Reader's Say: This was an okay book. The topic was fine except that there was an overuse of magic. The vocabulary was beautiful. I liked it half-half. I would recommend it for the construction (vocabulary, grammar, etc.) but not for the content.