amalmer

I am a huge fan of the Inkheart trilogy, so I was really excited to see this movie! For those who have read the boo, there are quite a few adaptations (some of which prevent a sequel) However, I still enjoyed it. It's hard to make a near 600 page book into a 1:45 movie.

Inkheart follows the story of Meggie and Mo Folchart. Mo possesses the ability to read things out of books, but with one consequence--whenever something is read out, something goes into the book. A brush-in with one of the characters Mo has read out, the Folcharts are thrust into an action-packed adventure with many of the wicked characters that were read out of "Inkheart." With many twists and turns, the secrets of this book and Mo's power are revealed.

Fraser was fine as Mo--Not bad, not great. He didn't show a lot of emotion. Apparently, the author, Cornelia Funke, modeled Mo after him. Eliza Bennett was a good Meggie. It was odd, though, that she had a British accent while Mo did not. I accepted that perhaps Mo was raised in the US, while she was raised in England. Bettany was absolutely incredible as Dustfinger!!! Definitely the star of the show! His ever-changing emotions, facial expressions, and internal struggle were all perfect. Helen Mirren was very entertaining as the outspoken and quirky aunt. Jim Broadbent was just as I imagined Fenoglio, and had some great one-liners. There are several other key characters, and most were good in their roles. Overall, I thought the cast was pretty rock-solid.

The settings and effects were amazing! Many were exactly how I pictured them in the book!! The special effects are definitely some of the best--Comprable to the "Pirates" and "Harry Potter" series. Absolutely magical.

I would recommend this movie to almost everyone--Young, old, boys, girls, those who have read the book, and those who haven't. The only people who might not enjoy it are those who do not like movies that change the books in some large aspects. Overall, I give this movie an 8/10. It held my attention the entire time, and everyone in the theater seemed to enjoy it. Inkheart effectively combines emotion, action, mystery, and humor to create a truly compelling story.

I personally am not a Hannah Montana or Miley fanatic, but I truly enjoy "Hannah Montana." I don't get the Disney Channel, so I had only seen the few episodes they play on Saturday mornings. I then looked up the rest of the series on the internet, and I'm about halfway through the first season. And I have to say, I've been pleasantly surprised. I'm not a huge fan of Disney Channel shows, other than That's So Raven. Hannah Montana is probably the next best Disney Show after that. It follows the life of Miley Stuart (played by Miley Cyrus), who lives a double life as pop-superstar Hannah Montana. She chooses to keep her identity secret so her peers won't swarm over her and treat her differently. Each episode shows a different aspect of Miley's life, as she learns the values of friendship and life in general. Miley Cyrus definitely has both singing and acting talent. Most of the cast is great, especially Emily Osment (who plays Lily, Miley's best friend, who is a little ditsy) and Mitchel Musso (who plays Oliver, Miley's best guy friend, a bit of a clutz). Jason Earles is good as Miley's off-beat brother, and the episodes featuring Cody Linley as Miley's boyfriend/friend are especially entertaining. Billy Ray Cyrus, who plays Miley's dad, is definitely the worst actor on the show, but it doesn't distract too much from the plots. I'm not sure why people rip on this show so much. Sure, it can be cheesy, and it's hard to believe that no one would recognize her as Hannah Montana, but so what? The show is still cute and refreshing in a time of repetitive reality contests and medical shows. People also say that Miley disrespects her friends, and sends the message that being cool is everything, but I disagree. Yes, she gets angry with her friends, but she always resolves the problem. I never get the idea she feels the need to be cool, either. By no means are her friends and her popular in school, nor do they give in to peer pressures. The show is mainly geared towards a female audience of the early teen years. Some of the plot lines follow boyfriends and social problems typically found in high school or middle school, but others follow more simple friendship lines. However, I know all ranges of people who enjoy it. I am a 16 year old female. Most of my friends enjoy it, as does my 10-year-old cousin, my mom, and even my uncle!

I give Hannah Montana an 8/10, and encourage you to check it out.

Step Brothers, starring Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly, delivers pretty much what you would expect from this duo. Profane, ridiculous, and outlandish humor, with little story line.

The basic plot is this: two middle-aged men, each with a single parent whom they still live with, become step brothers when their parents marry. They hate each other at first, but then become best friends. Their parents then decide they should get their own jobs and move out. They help each other discover their capabilities, blah blah blah...the plot is mostly lost anyways. What really matters is that there are 2 middle-aged men acting like 10 year olds.

There are some gut-bursting laughs and one-liners in this movie. Most of the film is filled with just senseless, stupid humor, as is with most Ferrell films. However, some things went a little too far, and the swearing went a little overboard. Yes, I know the movie is rated R, but the movie would've been fine without all of the crudeness.

I'm not a huge Ferrell fan, but I thought he and Reilly had great chemistry, and delivered the comedy well. They both really seemed to be 10-year-olds trapped in a middle-aged body, which seemed to be the whole point of the movie--laugh at some immature adults. I think there could've been a bit more story line, and this coming from me, a HUGE stupid-humor and slapstick fan! I think this is one of my favorite Ferrell movies, and overall the movie delivers what it promises--big laughs. 7/10