Tag Archives: Movie Review

The Fault in Ours Stars Movie Review #FIOS

movie pictureThe Fault in Ours Stars Movie Review:   So Tonight I had the privilege to drive 6- 15 year old girl to the opening night of Fault In Our Stars.  Which if you are not a teenage girl : is a love store, with a terminal twist.   The theater had 6 movie theater dedicated to the movie.. and everyone was pack with girls.  We arrived 20 minute before the movie and the girls sat 2 rows from the front. My girlfriend and I sat about 10 rows from the front. So arrive early.

Shailene Woodley Of Divergent Fame is Hazel a terminal ill from cancer 16 year old that is some what of a recluse.  While being forced by her mother to go to a youth cancer suport group she meets Augustus Waters played by Ansel Elgort (from Divergent) who is a cancer survivor age 18. They become friends and sole-mates.   The story proceeds and the struggle Hazel allowing this boy to be by herside as she travels down this dark road of illness.

The couple  goes on an adventure, and learns about each other and themselves.

The Fault in Ours Stars story does with deal with death, mature relationships sex and more.  Their is a sceen where the couple does have intercourse,  where is it is not full frontal nudy or show the actually act the inference is made.  So be wearing of kids not over 13.

The picture was excellent,  I did cry.  Shailene Woodley was wonderful and made you love her reserved sensibility.   She brought a real related able that connect with every girl/women in the audience.  Ansel Elgot  was charming and adorable as Gus.  The entire theater swooned over him. He was endearing, and thoughtful, the chemistry was spot on between the characters.

The Fault in Ours Stars is a touching love story that will make you laugh and cry.  So bring the tissues.   It is the Ghost of this generation of girls.

You have been warned

 Check out my other post :

Surviving Jack : Teach you how to Talk to your teenage boy

Teenager Blog Take over

Hunger Games

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The Hunger Games 2 DVD : Catching Fire DVD out today

katniss everdeenHunger Games 2: I love the Hunger Games I enjoyed reading all the books, the book are teenage genre but I don’t know an adult who did not love the story.   My son is currently starting the series.  My husband who normally is not a big reader really loved reading them with me.   When the movies came out we have seen all of them together.  I am a huge fan of the movies.   Today they 2nd movie Hunger Games: Catching Fire is released to the public on BluRay  Dvd and digital download. .

In the Hunger Games 2 dvd movie in the series the heroine Katniss Evergreen is settling back into life after winning the violent country appointed “Hunger Games” where kids from ages 12 -18 are picked to fight to the death for the amusement of the capital and make their local colonial proud.   Katiness and her fellow victory Peeta Mellark  trick the capital to keeping both alive at the end of the Hunger Games.  The 2nd movie int he Hunger Games trilogy is about the slow rebellion of the people in the colonies and capitals battle to keep them down.   Personally Katniss role in of being an unwilling figure head of this rebellion.

Jennifer Lawrence is the perfect cast for Katniss Evergreen.  Lawrence’s is a great Heroine,  she plays the role effortless with an inner strength of the  self empowered girl.  Lawerence’s portrayal of struggle,  survival, and just plan stubborn,  is what we have come to expect from Lawrence.. never shy or a weak women.  I think this movie is wonderful in showing our children a positive female that is faced with challenges and personal weaknesses but is persistence with  self reliant attitude.

 Josh Hutcherson  plays  Peeta Mallark and is a wonderful cast as well.  What I love about the Peeta Malark he is shows a silent strength by being their for Katniss unconditional.  He is is supportive and caring.  I feel the role shows that it is ok for the man not to be the star and he allows Katniss/Lawrence to shine.  Hutcherson portrayal is a what you expect of Peeta as described in the books. 

I can recommend this Hunger Games: 2 dvd  Catching Fire  for you to watch with your 12+ child both boy and girl.  Because,  boys should see a strong girl and a supporting man too. I do say a slightly older child because there are some violent moments in the movie.

As other teen books deal with a fawning girl.. Hunger Games does not .. it is positive and strong story so weather you read the book or watch the movie.  Hunger Games is well worth the time.

Sea of Monsters : Movie Review & Book Giveaway

Sea of Monsters : Movie Review This is my family’s review of Sea of monsters. The Character of Percey Jackson returns in the 2nd book and movie of the series  Sea of Monsters. Giveaway of Rick Riordans Books,   National Center Learning Disabilities  has provided me with a box set of the First 3 books of the Percy Series.

PercyJacksonThe basic premiss is that the Half Blood son of Poseidon : Percy  is sent to discover a prophecy and  to save his home camp half blood.  He and his 3 faithful friends head off on a quest to find the gold fleece and save the world.    They travel to the Sea of Monsters on their quests. Along the way, they are met with many characters  from witches, zombies, Cyclops and more  in hopes to find the fleece, save the world and the Olympus gods from destruction from a pre-olympus god.

I have to so say my kids are in love with Rick Riordan books.  So they could not wait to see the Sea of Monsters  movie.  The enjoyed the 1st movie of the series Lighting Thief , Sea of Monsters is the  sequel.  The same actors returned for the lead roles.  Their has been a 3 year span between the original and this movie in the series.  I was concerned the actor Logan Lerman could not pull of a 17 year old boy.   He did not disappoint,  he still had an innocents that made him still prefect for the role.   The actors did look older but it was appropriate, based on the movie story line.

My daughters favorite character returned Alexandra Daddario returned as Annabeth  which made her happy,  For girls Annabeth is a strong character,  she is the daughter of the Goddess of Wisdom  Anabeth  smart, feisty, and beautiful.   In the books she saves the boys from a cursed life ,  that was left out of the movie and both my kids were excited to see her save them,  so yes a little disappointing.  Riordan wrote a strong character my daughter could relate to and the screen writers left her heroism  out to be Saved by a boy in the end.. so read the books.   I did explain to my kids why their favorite part would be left (movie budgets, SGI concerns, movie length) I used it as a teachable moment.. see that is why the book is always better.  (

Many of your others favorite characters return  Like Brandon T Jackson as comic relief satyr  Grover and Percy’s newly found half Cyclops Brother Tyson played by actor Douglas Smith from HBO series Big love.  Smith is loveable and innocent as Tyson and you could not help to love his boyish tendency.

I was pleasantly surprised to see Nathan Fillion  as Hermes.  Fillion is one of my favorite actors on tv Staring in Castle.   He was charming as Hermes and I like seeing him make the jump to the big screen.

Movie Review Sea of Monsters :

All and all the movie was good,  entertaining, and fun to watch with the kids. The effects are great and it is not slow moving at all.  I would say spend your money and see it on the big screen.  GO and SEE IT

Kid it does have fighting, but no real guts.  So I would err on kids under 8 or 9.  I took my son 12 and daughter 8 .. both have read the books,  so it brought the pictures in their heads on the screen. .

Here is my daughter video review of the Movie:

Also here is a trailer of the movie..

So Since I think this is a great book series.  Since Rick Riordon has turn both my kids in to big readers.  I want to offer your kids to read the books. The character of Percy Jackson has dyslexia so does the author of the series Rick Riordan.  Both have inspired children to read. National Center Learning Disabilities  has provided me with a box set of the First 3 books of the Percy Series.

If you suspect your child has a learning disability.  Please visit National Center Learning Disabilities  that are a great place to start learning how to work with schools to get the proper test and help you need to have your childs succeed.   Like a Learning check lists to help  you make the best decision you can and explain the maze that is learning plans.

percy jackson booksI will be sending the books out to the winner.  Contest for a 3 pack Rick Riordan: Percy Jackson series books.    Contest ends Aug 20th. 2013.

HOW TO WIN: Leave a comment on this post to enter the giveaway.

The Vow Movie Review

the vow the movie

Last night I went to go see The Vow opening February 10th, 2012 with Rachel McAdams and Channing Tatum.  It was a great chick flick it was mushy, sad, and loving.  The theater was filled with women with a token guy or two.

Rachels McAdams  (Paige)character is in a car accident and looses her memory of her  husband.  The movie is plot is about the characters,  how they change,  then find themselves back to each other.   The entire movie I loved Channing Tatum character Leo because of his heart wrenching love of his wife.  He loves this women and it is not reciprocated.   Channing was perfect  for this role his portrayal  was vulnerable and loving to his wife.   There is a moment when Leo try’s to connect with his wife and she rejects him ..it broke my heart.

The character Paige ( McAdams)  is on a discovery to find herself. Paige is living the life of a stranger and the frustration she feels.   Then finally connecting with glimmer of her past self.  McAdams is lovely in this role playing confused and enlightened. She pulls the audience in and makes you root for Paige to find her way back to her Leo.

The movie The Vow is actually based on a real story.   So I think that  made me love the movie more.   Because all and all love did prevail in real life.

This movie is a wonderful Valentines movie. My movie going girlfriend was like I am buying this The Vow when it comes out on DVD, and I never buy dvds.   Girls will fall in love and guy go to see it because women will want to feel in love after it the movie.  I sure did, wanting to see my husband. Lucky Boy (wink wink)

Kept me wondering who knows if my husband  would go through hell to get my love back?? I like to think so bu t I am a true Romantic.

Thanks you to 95.7 BenFM and Dave & Busters Plymouth Meeting for a love evening . Disclosure  I did receive these tickets free of charge but the opinions are all of my own.

Moneyball staring Brad Pitt Movie Review

Picture From ImDb and Sony Pictures

This week I went to see a screening of MoneyBall starting Brad Pitt.  I wanted this to be the movie where I understood the hype behind Brad Pitt.  Why everyone goes gaga over him.  It was not.  I don’t think Pitt is a bad actor,  I think he is a great actor but he is not my type.  That being said.

The Money ball was a good movie 3 ½ stars.  It was based loosely on baseball’s Okland A’s  and there 2002-2003 season.  The story was an MLB team and how on a little budget then rose to success.  Brad Pitt was very good in the role playing fast talking quick witted  Billy Bean the A’ player  turned general manger.  Pits performance was what you would expect from a well written baseball movie.  It was not a role that stretched Brad Pitt as an actor there was parts we he got use his sarcastic humor which he was very entertaining .

I thought  Jonah Miller  was excellent as Peter Brant the brain child behind the players picked for the A’s .   I found Jonah to be a fun character not fitting in to the world but making it work.  He was the perfect fit for the role.   Miller and Pitt had excellent  guy chemistry.

I thought Moneyball was a good movie.  I would spend the $11 for a ticket plus the cost of a sitter on a date night.  Because it does appeal  with the baseball  aspect and the relationship between characters.  I will tell you I have seen this story before  not the exact story but similar, played by a different actor with a name that sounds like Nevin OddStir.

It is an underdog story and who does not love an good underdog story?

Disclosure:  I did receive the tickets for this screening for free, the opinions in this post are my own.