Book Review: Twilight

Read this fantastic book by Stephenie Meyer right now. I am told that the target audience, or biggest audience or something like that is young adult women, but I really enjoyed this, start to finish. It's the first book in a trilogy, which is good for fast readers like me who tend to out-read authors we like.

But about the book - Isabella, or Bella, as she prefers to be called, is the new girl in her high school in a small town in Washington. Moving to the colder climate from Arizona to live with a father she is estranged from in a town where everyone has known everyone else from birth, Bella is dreading the whole scene. Her first day of school she makes a few new friends, but also becomes fascinated with a boy, Edward, another "outsider" who only seems to talk to his own family and who seems to take an instant, intense dislike of her.

Edward and his family have a dark secret, which I won't give away, even though it's the first sentence on the back of the book. Forgot the legends you know about fantastical creatures, as you learn about Edward and his strange, close-knit family. By the time Bella uncovers his entire secret, she has fallen too much in love with him to leave him over it.

I think the best part of this novel, to me, was that every time I knew what was going to happen, I was wrong. It's a good story, and not at all scary, though it might seem to be going down the "horror story" path.

How good is this series? After reading the first one, I ordered the second one from the library, and when I found out it had 15 holds ahead of me, I checked the third - I'm 118th on the list for that one.

I'd give this book 5 out of 5 stars, for both the book itself and the potential for it being a great epic.

UPDATE: I just finished the other two books and I give the entire triology 5 out of 5.

Movie Review: Kickin' It Old Skool

1986 - Justin, a 10-year-old, takes a bad fall in a break-dancing contest and winds up in a coma.

2006 - Justin, now an atrophied 30-year-old played by Jamie Kennedy, wakes up in the hospital to the surprise of all involved.

As a child in an adult's body and an unfamiliar time, Justin does fairly well. He manages to round up his old group of friends, now all grown up and disillusioned. His grade school crush shows up, engaged to his old rival. To win her back and save his parents house, Justin and his "Funky Fresh Boys" must win a dance contest TV show.

Yes, it's about as good as it's sounds. There are a few laughs, and plenty of "weren't the 80s a funny time?" jokes. We didn't turn it off, but we didn't pause it when we needed to get a snack, either.

2 out of 5 stars

Movie Review: Blades of Glory

What can I say about a movie in which Will Ferrell and Jon Heder play former competitive figure skaters banned from Men's skating who team up to skate as a couple? You won't be surprised by any of the jokes, they are amusing in the standard Will Ferrell way. It's a funny movie, but not at the level of Ron Burgundy or even Kicking and Screaming.

Ferrell plays the "maverick" skater, a (supposedly) sexy, partying guy. Heder is the prissy "classical" skater, and they've been bitter rivals for years. After a fist fight breaks out at the Winter Games medal ceremony, both are banned from skating. Eventually, they end up finding out they are eligible to compete, just not singly. Craig T. Nelson plays the coach who brings them together. Real life spouses Will Arnett and Amy Poehler hilariously play a brother-sister pair skating team opposing them.

There are the out of shape jokes, the awkward "gay" things, the training montage. The outrageous costumes steal the show, almost another character unto themselves. The DVD has some fun extras, including a look at the stars learning to skate, and how some of the more complicated moves were pulled off. If you're a Will Ferrell fan, you'll enjoy this movie, but don't run out and get it RIGHT NOW. It's a good one for a night you don't feel like thinking too hard.

3 1/2 stars out of 5.

Book Review: I Love You, Beth Cooper

I Love You, Beth Cooper had me from "Hello", or at least from the title. Written by Larry Doyle (a Simpsons writer, as you know if you're a big geek like me), this book basically covers the graduation night of another big geek, the valedictorian-debate-club geek who makes the titular proclamation in his commencement speech. Beth Cooper, the object of his affection is, of course, a popular cheerleader type. The remark kicks of a series of events which grows ever more hilarious and outrageous. I laughed out loud several times while reading this and actually read it again immediately after finishing it.

Some reviews I've read suggest that the book is "too unrealistic" and that the characters make seemingly inexplicable choices. My response to the latter is that the characters are teenagers and if you can always predict what a teen will do, you are one up on me. As to the former complaint, was "Ferris Bueller" realistic? 16 Candles? Weird Science?? Of course not, but these coming of age movies make us laugh because they are a combination of our high school memories mixed with our adolescent fantasies. If you liked those movies, I'd bet you'll enjoy this book.

5 out of 5 stars

Movie Review: The Ultimate Gift

If I had to sum up this movie in one word, that word would be "predictable". Nothing that happens in this film is going to catch you by surprise if you're over age 10. It's not a bad movie, and there are a few chuckles in it, but if you want something new, this isn't it.

The Ultimate Gift has the feel of a made-for-the-Hallmark-Channel movie, but without Valerie Bertinelli. The premise: a rich guy dies and leaves his horrible, spoiled adult children nothing of value, but to his even-worse grandson, he promises the "Ultimate Gift" if he just follows a set of instructions. For each step he completes he'll get a gift, and if he makes it through them all, he gets the big one.

As you'd expect, the spoiled rich kid learns a series of lessons, and along the way meets a poor single mother with a sick child (Abigail Breslin, adorable in a sarcastic, too-wise-for-her-years way) who befriend and help him learn what's really important. It's a movie you might want to watch with your younger kids and talk about the important things the guy learned, but probably not for yourself.

The DVD also includes a pitch for the book that goes with the movie and a bunch of other "life-changing" materials, in an almost infomercial way. You know, in case you need some more schmaltz.

1.5 out of 5 stars

Movie Review: Perfect Stranger

I like a good mystery and I like suspense, not gore or violence, but the edge-of-your seat kind of tensions that makes you jump when the music swells, even if nothing actually happened. This is not that kind of movie, though that's what I was hoping for.

Halle Berry, of whom I've never been a huge fan, plays a newspaper reporter out to bring down the rich and powerful by uncovering their scandals. When her latest muck-raking effort is sabotaged, she quits the paper, but becomes drawn into what might be an even bigger cover-up. Her partner/friend from the paper (Giovanni Ribisi), continues to help her on the sly as she pursues the head of a large advertising agency (Bruce Willis) who may have killed her childhood friend.

Probably the best thing I can say for this is that I didn't (quite) figure out the ending. Berry's acting is so-so, Ribisi is good playing pretty much the same guy he usually does and Bruce Willis is Bruce Willis. There's no real suspense, not much action, and the story moves at a fairly slow pace. Not slow like nicely spaced out, but more like revelation, kill some time, hint-hint, kill some time, Isn't This Creepy?, kill some time.

I got bored enough in parts to play solitaire on my phone while I watched, but it wasn't bad enough to turn off. I'd say, watch it for free if you have a chance, but I don't think I'd even recommend renting it.

2 out of 5 stars

Movie Review: The Simpsons

Please understand, this review being written by me - Jami, comes from someone who had loved the Simpsons since they aired as shorts during the Tracey Ullman Show. I know Millhouse's parent's first names. I know what the dowry agreement for Manjula and Apu's betrothal was. I know the episode titles. I am a Simpsons Geek and have no shame.

I loved the movie. I went in both excited and a little apprehensive, since other eagerly anticipated movies have let me down (I'm talking to you, Phantom Menace).

THE GOOD:
The movie plays like a lengthened Simpsons episode, with slightly worse language and brief full-frontal male nudity. That is not a joke. The reason the Simpsons has remained one of the funniest shows on TV is the perfect mix of low-brow, slapstick silliness and the more obscure or literary humor, and the movie echos that well.

THE BAD:
Even though all the minor players are visible and may have a line or two, most don't say a think and none are really a big part of the story.

I don't want to give away anything, so my basic point is this - however you feel about the Simpsons on your TV, I'd bet that's how you'll feel about the movie.

Thank you, Come Again!

5 stars out of 5

Movie Review: Fracture

A murder mystery where you see the crime in the first few minutes of the movie? That's exactly what this movie is. Ted Crawford (Anthony Hopkins with a charming brogue) murders his philandering wife early in this picture. The intrigue begins after ADA Willy Beachum (Ryan Gosling) who can't wait to get out of prosecuting and into the world of corporate law catches the seemingly open-and-shut case. He confessed, the cops have his gun, the security cameras show that no one else came or went from the house - so why does Crawford plead not guilty?

Not a psychological thriller, not really a whodunit, definitely not a comedy or romance, I'm not sure what to call this movie, but it certainly drew me in and kept my attention. The major question bugged me throughout and I didn't figure it out before the reveal. All the actors perform at top level, and even though it felt a little tacked on, Beachum's romance added some interest and a tiny piece of insight into the character.

The best part of this movie is that it was different from pretty much anything else I've seen. I recommend it strongly.

4 out of 5 stars

Movie Review: Wild Hogs

Start this movie without great expectations and you'll be fine. The basic story is: four middle-aged guys (the suburban dad, the hen-pecked guy, the computer nerd and the newly-divorced one) who meet once a week to ride their motorcycles decide to take a cross-country trip. Hilarity ensues. Okay, well, not hilarity, but a few minor surprises and some funny moments.

Stealing the scenes he's in is the formidable John C. McGinley. You may recognize him if you are a fan of Scrubs, where he plays Dr. Cox. Though he's not in more than a total of about 10 minutes, I definitely laughed hardest when he was on-screen.

There's nothing all that exciting or new, but if you want a light comedy that won't challenge you - this is it.

2 1/2 stars out of 5.

Book Review: The War Against Miss Winter

Paperback Writer here.

So, I promised my friend, Kathryn Miller Haines that I would review her book, The War Against Miss Winter. Unfortunately, during the time her book came out I was just finishing up the Dark Tower series by Stephen King and then there was this whole Harry Potter thing going on (anyone else know about it?) and before I knew it, two months had gone by and still no review from me regarding her book.

Well, let me try to rectify that situation now, shall we?

I picked up the book one night, intending to read the first chapter before I went to bed. The next thing I knew it was two hours later and I had read five chapters. The plot, characters and dialogue pulled me in.

*sigh*

Wait, PW, what the heck is it all about?

Well, it's about Rosie Winter, an actress in World War II New York City, trying to make ends meet. Her boyfriend has just left for the Navy and she hasn't heard from him in six months. She hasn't landed a job in a while and the apartment she's staying in is about to kick her out.

And then her boss - she works in a detective agency as his secretary - winds up dead.

I'm no authority figure regarding 40's culture in NYC, but it seems pretty authentic to me and did I mention that the dialogue crackled?

Yeah, it did.

And besides this hack writer, she's recieved some pretty high praise from other sources...more reputable than I am. ;)

Go on. Go read her book. It would make her happy and in turn would make me happy.

Movie Review: I Think I Love My Wife

I saw this movie (out on DVD today) for three reasons: Chris Rock, Steve Buscemi and Gina Torres. Chris Rock is hilarious, and since he directed and co-wrote the movie, I had high hopes. Steve Buscemi has a talent for picking interesting stuff, plus something about him just makes me happy. Gina Torres is gorgeous and part of me hopes that if I continue to watch things with her in it I will spontaneous start to look like her. I didn't really have any expectations going in, though I recalled it didn't do well at the box office.

The movie boils down to this: Rock plays a married man, in the boring rut of his day-to-day existence and shut out from sex by his wife engages in what we'd probably have to call an "emotional affair" with an attractive woman he knew before. Some not-so-subtle racial content is mixed in, and honestly, felt to me like Rock felt he had to make some sort of comment about race more than it felt like a necessary part of the story. The story becomes how we live out the choices that we make, and that we are as much responsible for our happiness as anyone else is.

I loved the bizarre nature of Rock's character's affair, which teaches that different doesn't always mean better. I appreciated that the movie didn't make either spouse the "bad guy", instead exploring how complex marriages can be. I was totally weirded out by the ending, and that's all I'll say about that.

This isn't one I plan to buy, but I didn't feel that it wasted my time, either. I think it's a decent cautionary tale to married couples about getting caught up in "life" so much that you forget to live.

I'd have to give it 2 1/2 stars out of 5 - it would have been three without the odd ending.

Movie Review: Superbad

What can I say about this movie except it is so very, very wrong and you will laugh until you hurt?

Brought to you by the fine folks who created 40-Year-Old Virgin, Superbad is a sort of throw back to the 80's teen sex movies, but with less nudity, an actual plot and some serious heart. The language is as blue as you can imagine and much of the story involves nerdy high school seniors discussing sex in rather crass ways. The boys get a once-in-a-high-school career opportunity to be the heroes at a party full of cool kids by bringing the booze to the party of the class hottie.

Twists of fate set two of the boys on the run in a desperate attempt to find alcohol and get to the party while the third goes on an insane adventure with a couple of rogue cops.

We saw this will fellow reviewer PW, and I hope she'll add her two cents to this as well. I felt it made Apatow's previous films look like practice.

FIVE STARS out of five!