Movie Review: Magic Mike

Magic Mike

Wow I am conflicted about this... it's 3:20am I got back home about an hour ago from seeing the opening night of Magic Mike and after talking it out with a friend of mine on the phone I am still conflicted but she did get me to change my previous rating from a 3 star to a 4 star because well there was a lot of good in the movie. 

Some things I've come away with:

• Channing Tatum can move
• Channing Tatum's wife is soooooo lucky
• Did you see Channing Tatum's eyes?  Gorgeous!  And those lips?!?  Biteable!  And I did mention the moves, right?
• Channing Tatum is cute and adorable and just makes you want to hug him and squeeze him at times, or climb him and jump his bones at others.
• Every single actor in that movie has a perfect ass.
• I've outgrown my fascination with Matthew McConaughey, he was not doing it for me in this movie.
• Where was Matt Bomer and Joe Manganiello?!?!?!!?  I was cheated!!!
• Did I already say that I am even more in love with Channing Tatum that I already was?

So the movie has a lot of eye candy, we knew that, we got a lot of that.  But ladies be prepared for one thing... You don't get as much of ALL the guys as I originally thought and expected.  Yes, I love Channing Tatum but I was expecting to see more bootie shaking from Matt Bomer and Joe Manganiello than we actually saw.  I was left wanting more, a lot more, when it came to the rest of the cast.  The big surprise for me was Alex Pettyfer.  I've always thought he was cute but I walked out of there thinking he's pretty sexy.

The story?  Well call me demanding but I wanted a story as well.  And there is one, not bad.  Mike (Channing) meets Adam (Alex) at one of his many day jobs and decides to bring him in to the dark side and get him to strip.  Adam is young and all the attention and success, girls and partying goes to his head and gets him in trouble.  In the meantime, Dallas (McConaughey) is trying to move their small town act to a bigger city venue to gain more exposure.  I thought the story was good until about 90% of the movie.  See? Not bad, lots of potential.  Then the ending came around.

My friend actually looked over at me about 2 minutes before the credits started rolling and said "Wouldn't it be funny if they just end it here?" and I said "I would be pissed if they did!".  Then I looked over at the screen and the credits started rolling.  I am not happy.  And that is maybe the reason I was going with the lower rating.  No, this has nothing to do with what I've seen other reviewers say about the story getting deep and emotional.  I wanted that!  I just didn't want to be left with so many balls hanging in the air and not really knowing where any of them would land.  And then my other issue was... "Was there supposed to be romance in this movie?" Because apparently in the last few minutes it was decided that there was romance but there was no connection to me throughout the whole movie to justify that.

Rant over.  Magic Mike is still worth going to the movies and watching.  I am, as a matter of fact, watching it again tomorrow.  Really, you can't go wrong with paying to see Channing Tatum's sexy ass and those moves. My heart might've stopped a few times.

Movie Review: Snow White & The Huntsman

I love revamped fairy tales, or rather fairy tales delving back into their darker roots, and despite the fact that Kristen i-only-have-one-facial-expression Stewart was the lead in Snow White & the Huntsman I was prepared to love it. I was let down.

This film reminded me of a fast food meal, all brightly coloured and prettily packaged with it's high profile cast of stars and mouth waterilngly well advertised with a few well chosen scenes cut into its trailer but when you actually go to the meal what you actually find is deflated and with very little meat to get your teeth into and nutriously void. That was this film. Where was the action I was promised? The romance? The menace and the tension, the topless Chris Hemsworth (okay that might have been a hopeful fantasy on my part...) that all the trailers promised?

In reality this film took a long time to start seeming to set up an exciting story to come, which never came to fruitation. Instead we had to watch Kristen Stewart slog through all her scenes with all the charisma of a muddy stick. I found myself on the side of Charlize Theron the evil queen at least she showed a little emotion and lets face it, who doesn't want to get rid of Kristen Stewart? As for Chris Hemsworth, despite the size of my crush on him he just kind of seemed pointless to the film, he never seemed to really do anything but stand there looking ruggedly handsome getting my pulse going and swing his axe around now and then.

In a nutshell, it was hugely disapointing, maybe it would have been better if it had someone with more screen presence such as Ellen Page playing Snow White, or maybe not... the story it self was slow and just consisted of them going to one place to another without much happening in between. The most exciting part of this performance for me was seeing the trailer for Magic Mike before the film began, from there it was all down hill.

 

Movie Review: The Avengers

THE AVENGERS is probably the most anticipated movie of the year. With such beloved characters and an all-star cast, this movie is sure to reel in the masses. The expectations were high because of the success of the other Marvel films, but I have to say I was thoroughly impressed by this movie.

If you’ve watched Thor, then you know of Loki and his master plan to rule a kingdom. This time he has his sights set on Earth and will anything to achieve that. With his godly powers and his magic stick, he does everything in his power to make humans kneel before him but Nick Fury of S.H.I.E.L.D is there to stop him. Except he can’t do it alone. This is where the band of remarkable heroes comes in.

Each of the heroes were perfectly casted for their roles. I loved them all, but I have to say that Thor (Chris Hemsworth) and Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.) were my favorites. I even loved Loki (Tom Hiddleston ) whose his acting was off the charts. He conveyed so much with his facial expressions. Loved him. He made for a great villain.

Another great thing about this movie is the humor. The banter between the all the characters was hilarious and I also loved the tension between them all. How do you bring all these superheroes together and expect them to work as a team? It was definitely interesting to watch them go at it and even fight each other.

Which leads me to the next thing I want to mention – the action. Full-throttle, action-packed doesn’t even cover it. From the very beginning you are bombarded with special effects that will blow your mind. You will definitely not be bored while watching this movie.

 I do have one complaint though... Why weren’t there any shirtless Thor scenes? A girl’s gotta get her fantasies from somewhere, right?

The Avengers is definitely one you should check out. You can trust me when I say that it won’t disappoint.

ARC Review: The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

 

The Immortal Rules

(Blood of Eden #1)

by Julie Kagawa

THE IMMORTAL RULES is my first read my Julie Kagawa. I have heard many good things about this author so I thought I would give this series a shot. Here are my thoughts on book one of the Blood of Eden series:

WHAT I LIKED:
- Straight from the beginning, I noticed Kagawa’s writing style. I enjoyed her voice. It suits YA very well and is engaging and unique. I don’t read YA often anymore so sometimes it takes me awhile to get used to their style once again, but with this book, it was super easy. No straining, nothing but smooth sailing.
- The worldbuilding – THE IMMORTAL RULES takes on powerful vampires and rabids and a world that I would probably die in if I lived there. But thank goodness I don’t because it’s kind of scary to be honest. Kagawa’s new world takes readers into the dark side, giving vampires a new twist which was very interesting. I think in the first book of the series, it is important to establish a unique world and I feel that the author has accomplished that with this first instalment.
- Allie – She shows a lot of strength, even from when she was a human. She’s a fighter at heart and it’s nice to see a young girl who is intelligent and resourceful. I also loved that she is Asian.

WHAT I DIDN’T LIKE:
- There were times in the book where I felt the pacing was off. Some scenes dragged on for too long so I wished that there was something there that would have picked it up a bit.

Overall, THE IMMORTAL RULES is a nice start to a new series. I wonder what Kagawa has planned next. It will be interesting to see if she can conquer vampires as she has done with fae.

 

 

Purchase Links: Amazon

Movie Review: Hunger Games

The Hunger Games

I will admit I am one of the few people out there that haven't finished this series.  As a matter of fact, I just recently read the first book.  One of the reasons why I stayed away was all the hype.  Somehow this book managed to come to me three times for free.  And I gave it away a few times without reading it.  When I recently read it, I kicked myself in the ass repeatedly.  The world created by Suzanne Collins is amazing!!

Now that being said, I HAD to go see this movie at the midnight opening and on IMAX.  What a great movie!  The translation from book to movie was pretty good, they managed to capture most of the key elements.  Even though with a lot of the explanations and the things that made viewers understand this world I felt the beginning might've been slow, but it was necessary and still very enjoyable.

The casting was awesome!  I think all the characters were carefully chosen and the acting in this movie is top notch.  I was pleasantly surprised that I didn't see any of the amateurish acting and cheesy lines that are often found in the Twilight movies.  So 5++ for acting!  I can't say it enough!  And the costumes as well! Just perfect!  It really transported you to Panam as if you were experiencing it right along with them!

I may have wished to have seen a bit more of the relationship buildup with Gale.  I think that was one point not developed as much and leaving it a bit open ended as to what their relationship was.  As well as her relationship with Peeta at the end.  It didn't quite translate the same as the book, even though the subtext was there.

In conclusion?  If you haven't read the book, you're missing out, do it now!  If you want to see this movie without reading the book, you can still enjoy it.  And in my personal opinion, if you are under 12 (then you shouldn't be on this site!!) or you have children that age, this is not a general topic that I would consider appropriate for them to read about or watch without parental supervision and it will depend on the level of maturity of the kid.  However, when the main idea behind a book or movie is a group of 24 kids/teenagers who are forced by the government to a survival game where they have to kill each other and only one survives, while being televised, it's kind of a tough call.  But I will say the movie is a lot more kid friendly than the book would be.

Excellent movie!  Can't wait to now read the rest of the series!

Review: Betrayal in Death by J.D. Robb

 

Betrayal in Death

( In Death # 12)

by J.D. Robb

A trained killer is on the loose. He is attacking people who work for Roarke and has been having his merry way with them. He beats then, rapes them and then finishes them off with his trademark weapon, a silver piece of wire. This guy is a slick criminal, both intelligent and cunning as a cat. He manages to always slip out of Eve’s grasp like water.

But Eve Dallas still won’t give up this fight because this case hits a little closer to home. Roarke is now feeling responsible for these deaths because of their involvement with them. He believes that they wouldn’t have been targeted if they didn’t work for him. His grief is palpable and shadowing and it was nice to see how the tables turned in this one. Usually, it’s Eve who feels the weight of the grief and horror of her job, but in this book Roarke shows another side of him that I wasn’t expecting. Robb continues to enhance her characters in a way that makes me love them more. She is able to portray both the light and dark times of their lives in a way that you feel like you can relate to them.

A couple of twists and turns are evident in this book, making this one an easy one to devour. I also really loved reading from Yost’s POV because it offered a look into a killer’s mind. You can see his plans, see how his mind works and in comparison to Eve’s mind, it was a refreshing glance at two sides of a coin.

There’s some trouble in paradise between Peabody and McNab. Their casual relationship is now strained because it seems that McNab has an different idea of their relationship. My fingers are crossed that things work out for them, but for now, the ride is a little rough as they try to work out their differences.

In the end, I found that BETRAYAL IN DEATH was one of my favorites of the series. I find it harder to choose the best one since all of them are equally great. I still don’t know how Robb manages to keep things fresh without repeating the same notions over and over again. Somehow, it all just works.

 

 

 

 

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UTC's Most Anticipated Movies of 2012

Underworld: Awakening

January 20, 2012

When human forces discover the existence of the Vampire and Lycan clans, a war to eradicate both species commences. The vampire warrioress Selene leads the battle against humankind.

One For The Money

January 27, 2012

Unemployed and newly-divorced Stephanie Plum lands a job at her cousin's bail-bond business, where her first assignment puts her on the trail of a wanted local cop from her romantic past. 

Based on the Stephanie Plum novel by Janet Evanovich.

The Hunger Games

March 23, 2012

Set in a future where the Capitol selects a boy and girl from the twelve districts to fight to the death on live television, Katniss Everdeen volunteers to take her younger sister's place for the latest match. 

Based on the book by Suzanne Collins.

The Avengers

May 4, 2012

Nick Fury and the international agency S.H.I.E.L.D. bring together a team of super humans to form The Avengers to help save the Earth from Loki & his various membered army.

Snow White and the Huntsman

June 1, 2012

In a twist to the fairy tale, the Huntsman ordered to take Snow White into the woods to be killed winds up becoming her protector and mentor in a quest to vanquish the Evil Queen.

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2

November 16, 2012

After the birth of Renesmee, the Cullens gather other vampire clans in order to protect the child from a false allegation that puts the family in front of the Volturi. 

Review: Magic Study by Maria V. Snyder

Magic Study

by Maria V Snyder

Study Series # 2

4.5 Feathers

Yelena has been banished from Ixia after having discovered that she has forbidden magical abilities and now heads to Sitia to be trained in their academy. She is also meeting her real family for the first time since she was kidnapped when she was 6, but the reunion isn't as perfect as she hoped when she sees the resentment her brother holds for her. Meanwhile a killer has been stalking Sitia, torturing and raping young girls, and it looks like Yelena may be next on his list of victims.

I liked this book, but for some reason I didn't enjoy it as much as the first Poison Study. However, this didn't stop me from devouring the pages! I think what diminished my enjoyment of this story was that it got too bogged down with different plot elements, I think too much was added. Although nothing was left unresolved everything seemed rushed and there was very little detail in her explanations. For example, when Yelena and her brother reconcile, there was only a page spent on this despite the fact that it had been a theme throughout the book.

But despite feeling a little rushed, I did like it, it introduced some new characters such as Kiki, Yelena's horse and Cahil Ixia who is supposedly the dead King of Ixia's nephew and is desparate to win back his crown and wrestle Ixia away from Commander Ambrose.

I am greatly looking forward to the next and final book in the trilogy to see how everything is resolved. 

Review: Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning

 

 

 Darkfever

by Karen Marie Moning

(Fever #1)

This is my second time reading this book and it only got better.

Readers, if you haven’t read this series yet, then I highly suggest you do. Just make sure you have all the books on hand because one, you won’t be able to stop and two, there are killer cliffhangers that made me wish to hang myself.

I am not a Fae person. I don’t often enjoy stories that involve the Seelie and Unseelie Court. To me, it was a bunch of blah-blah before I started this series. Fever has changed how I see Fae.

The dark, creepy creatures in this book really caught my attention. And it’s no wonder why I shared Mac’s interest and sometimes disgust concerning the Fae. Moning’s Fae are unlike anything I’ve read before.

And then there’s Mac whom I adore. Mac has learned that her sister was murdered in Dublin while studying abroad. Now, Mac takes initiative where the Garda haven’t and she finds herself hitting the Dublin streets in search of answers to her sister’s murder.

There she encounters Jericho Barrons, the most worldly of men and most likely a total jerk as well. Swapping information with one another, Mac soon learns about a world she never knew existed before.

She also learns many things about herself.

The Fever series is one of my favourite urban fantasy series. Nothing tops a man of mystery and a kickass heroine against a world of dark Fae creatures that do more than just go bump in the night.

 

 Purchase Links: Amazon

ARC Review: Fate's Edge by Ilona Andrews

 

(more like 4.5 feathers!)

Fate's Edge

(The Edge, # 3)

by Ilona Andrews

While FATE’S EDGE is really the third book in The Edge series, it was my first delve into this alternate world of The Weird, the Broken and The Edge. Though I worried that I would be lost entering in the middle of a series, I soon found out that I had no reason to be. The writing team of Ilona Andrews may create a vastly unique and complex world, but they are considerate enough to add in a few details here and there for new readers who would like to try this series out. In the end, I got hooked and found myself reading this book nonstop until I flipped that last page.

FATE’S EDGE is Kaldar Mar’s book. He’s what I would call a smooth criminal. Not above using his charisma and good looks to his advantage, Kaldar can charm anyone into doing what he wants.

“This man was a rogue, not because circumstances forced him to be a criminal but because he was born that way. He was probably conning his mother out of her milk the moment he could grin. He'd charm the clothes off a virgin in twenty minutes. And if the poor took him home, he'd drink her dad under the table, beguile her mother, charm her grandparents, and treat the girl to a night she'd never forget.”

Now a member of the Mirror, Kaldar has the means to exact the revenge he seeks. However, his lines become tangled in Audrey Callahan’s life...

Audrey came from a family of grifters and is very much aware of the consequences of that. When her drug-addicted brother gets into trouble again, her father comes to her seeking assistance on one last heist. Audrey refuses outright, but persistence can be a damned thing and when she and her father agree on one condition, she accepts. If she does this one last job, she will have no ties to her family any more. She has no father, no mother and definitely no brother.

With Audrey’s magical skill in lock picking, the heist goes on smoothly. Except now, Audrey learns that the diffuser bracelets she stole are being sought out by both the Mirror and the Hand. And now, Kaldar needs her help to retrieve them.

First off, I loved the con storyline! It was smart, interesting and created the perfect pathway for the hero and heroine to fall in love. Actually, I found that Kaldar and Audrey were very much the same. They were so in tune with one another that working as a team was a dream. I don’t think Kaldar expected things to run so smoothly because the former rogue really falls hard in this one and it was very enjoyable to read.

The kids, Jack the changeling and George the necromancer, were also great additions to this book. I’m sensing that a book will be in store for them, maybe? The presence of these kids really changed the book. They added humor and heart and they made what was once a bunch of misfits, a team in the end.

So if you’re a fan of urban fantasy romance, then be sure to check out The Edge series. Not only is there a happy ending, but there’s a slick hero –made all the more sexy because he knows it – and an equally quick-witted heroine who keeps him on his toes. As Audrey and Kaldar seek to retrieve the stolen item, they find love in each other in the process as well.

*ARC provided by publisher

 

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