Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief

So I went to see Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief last night, and I've got to say you're probably much better off seeing this movie if you haven't read the books. Just for starters, in the first movie Percy is like 12, and in this movie he's what, 16 or maybe even 17? Totally changes the character's story arc. I really don't think the script writers read much more than the back cover copy of the novel - the movie is a very, very loose adaptation of Rick Riordan's story. The book's not what I would call classic literature by any stretch, but the movie really rather dumbs down the storyline thanks to generous rewrites and omissions or rearranging of characters and/or events.

However, that said, I didn't hate this movie - you just have to take it for what it is, just escapist entertainment. Sean Bean absolutely cracked me up as Zeus - he enjoyed over dramatizing every line a little too much, LOL! :) Kevin McKidd was an extremely odd choice to play Percy's dad, Poseidon, but he worked well opposite Logan Lerman as Percy. I wasn't sure about Lerman when the movie started, but by the end he'd won me over. I could definitely see him as the older Percy, if the movies were going to bother to follow the timeline of the books, so he works. Alexandra Daddario worked as Annabeth - much better than she works as Kate in my new favorite show, White Collar. Seriously, Kate needs to GO...but that's a whole other blog post. ;-) Brandon T. Jackson was a pretty perfect Grover - of the three leads, he probably ended up being my favorite. Jackson had some great comic scenes.

Pierce Brosnan was absolutely (and, I'm convinced, completely unintentionally) hilarious as the centaur Chiron. I kept thinking must have taken this role, viewing it as his chance to play the wise wizard - and since Gandalf and Dumbledore are already taken care of, he's stuck with playing a hairy horse-man. Poor Pierce. :-P Uma Thurman as Medusa was another bit of random celebrity stunt-casting. Definitely not Thurman's strongest role (haha). And I have no idea why Rosario Dawson was in this movie playing Persephone. My memory of the Persephone story is rather hazy, but I don't remember her being so, um...slutty?? Not to mention that she's a non-entity in the book, but whatever. My least favorite actor in the movie has to be Jake Abel as Luke - lame, lame, lame. If you're going to rewrite the book and amp-up his role in the story, for goodness' sake please get an actor that can play threatening instead of petulant and whiny. *rolls eyes*

Enough about the actors, since the acting is rather hit-or-miss and the script can be pretty lame, it leaves A LOT to be desired. This movie's strongest point is the special effects, some of them are quite awesome. The Fury, though under-represented, was fantastically creepy, and the Minotaur looked terrific. Chris Columbus definitely had some great new and improved special effects technology to play with since his Harry Potter days. The scenes where Percy controls the water were also handled really well IMO. I also liked the way the gods transitioned from their godlike form & size to their human disguises...those transitions were pretty seamless. Seeing this movie for the special effects alone made the whole thing worthwhile, some of the scenes were that cool and fun to see.

Speaking of watching something fun, seeing the Parthenon wrecked was a pretty random surprise, considering that a visit to Nashville is not even mentioned in the book. I don't need to go to the movies for a nice shot of I-24, I know that stretch of road like the back of my hand. Not to mention that I have never, ever seen Centennial Park so full of happy smiling families and kids. The moment was a little Twilight Zone-ish, just sayin'. ;-) If the theater we were in last night was any indication, the representation of Nashville was a tad fantasy-landish. LOL!

So yeah, that's about all I've got to say about this movie. It's fun, but having really liked the books I have to acknowledge that there are a TON of missed opportunities. Boo Chris Columbus! :-P But if you're looking for some escapist fun, this might just fit the bill. The pacing is great, the three leads are fun to watch play off each other, and the special effects can be pretty spectacular. If you're a real fan of the books I'd be curious to hear your thoughts...

Merlin news

Good news for fans of Merlin (the first season of which aired on NBC last summer) - SyFy has acquired the rights to air the first TWO seasons of the show, starting in April. All I've got to say is, FINALLY. Merlin will be a MUCH better fit at SyFy than at it was at NBC. Incidentally, the first season of Merlin releases on DVD April 20th.

Emma, part 2

Well, in case ya'll couldn't tell last week, I was a little busy with reading and book reviewing, so the final two Emma reviews never happened. I mean to rectify that situation directly. :) Here is the episode two summary from the PBS website:

Emma teases Mr. Knightley about Jane, but he remains tight-lipped. Meanwhile, Frank and Emma plan a ball, and Emma wonders whether she might be in love with him. With her matchmaking officially abandoned, Emma feels cooped up and bored. Mr. Knightley suggests a day trip to Box Hill for a change of scene. He also tells Emma that he suspects Frank and Jane are secretly in love. Emma rebuffs the suggestion — she can personally vouch for Frank's indifference to Jane.

I have to say, I'm not a fan of how PBS divided this program so it would cover three weeks' worth of Masterpiece Classic time. To get two hours the first week, and then only a hour the next (really, only 45-50 minutes) just left me feeling a little ripped off. The show is too good to watch in such "tiny" segments, LOL! Needless to say, this program will be enjoyed many times over when my DVDs arrive from Amazon (currently it's only $21.99!).

This segment of Emma explores our heroine's misconception that she's in love with Frank Churchill (played by Rupert Evans). How this plays out on-screen is a great example, I think, of how well Sandy Welch's script and Romola Garai's performance work well to give this incarnation of Emma a little more depth, spending a little more time exploring why she acts the way she does, and how she perceives the circumstances playing out in her sphere of influence. I love how Garai dances between Emma's propensity for self-centeredness and her slowly awakening care and compassion for those around her, such as Harriet (Louise Dylan). Speaking of Harriet, I've been pretty pleased with Dylan's performance. She's a relative newcomer (see her IMDB page), but with appearances in Merlin and Lewis, and now this, she could be well on her way to building a solid resume.

My favorite introduction in this episode is the infamous Mrs. Elton - I actually think I screamed when she walked on-screen. Mrs. Elton is played by Christina Cole. Not only is she a fantastic actress in my opinion, but she has the market cornered in playing classic shrews. In addition to the role of Mrs. Elton, she's played Caroline Bingley in Lost in Austen and Blanche Ingram in Jane Eyre (not to mention noticable guest spots in shows like Doctor Who and Poirot). Cole is a perfect match to Blake Ritson's icy and pretentious Mr. Elton, and her take on Mrs. Elton provides an excellent foil to Emma, who is left positively stuttering with rage and frustration at her impudence. When Mrs. Elton first appears in church, Mr. E.'s introduction of her was hilarious - I loved how Ritson deadpanned his delivery of expounding on one of his favorite scriptures, "let deceitful lips be made dumb." That was just so unexpected, but so appropriate, I loved it!

I mentioned earlier the whole Emma/Frank Churchill dynamic - I think it plays out really, really well in this adaptation. I loved Emma's rather dewy-eyed infatuation with Frank. Garai plays it in a way that strikes me as very honest, and I think underscores the fact that while Emma thinks she can run everyone else's lives, she is completely clueless when it comes to knowing her own heart. Churchill completely takes her for a ride, but I have just the tiniest bit of sympathy for her because Garai lets one see that Emma's affections could be in peril. She's a control freak, yes, but I like her. :)

Of course the highlight of this program is the way the Knightley/Emma relationship develops. There's more time to see events unfold here, versus in the 90 minute or so feature films that have been Austen-film staples for the last ten-plus years. Jonny Lee Miller's take on Mr. Knightley has been absolutely FANTASTIC. My favorite moment in this episode comes at the Highbury ball. Not only does Emma get to witness Knightley's chivalry (when he rescues Harriet from being snubbed by Elton), but she acknowledges that where Mr. Elton was concerned, Knightley was 100% correct. That's major progress, right people?! :) And then there's the dance. Excuse me while a swoon for a second. ;) To my knowledge, this is the first Emma adaptation that doesn't preface the dance with the exchange that Emma and Knightley aren't "so like brother and sister that dancing would be improper" (or something like that, just quoting from memory here). THANK YOU, Sandy Welch, for skipping that quote. It serves to "freshen" the moment, since all the story beats are so well-known, plus it doesn't throw up in one's face that Knightley is like twice Emma's age (or close to it). I have no problem with age differences in romantic pairings, don't get me wrong - I'm just tired of having it mentioned in Emma films because it always seems to come off rather awkwardly to my ears.

All that to say - the look Knightley gives Emma when she says she'll dance with him, if only he'll ask - that pause, that look, is to die for. Well played, Jonny Lee Miller, well played. In that moment, Miller lets you see just how much Knightley cares for Emma. There's no frustration with immaturity, there's only love, affection, and a belief in their possible future that's lovely to see. This Knightley is intense and determined, and I love it!! I just have to point out, though, the hilarity to be found in one of his solo scenes (after the ball, when he visualizes dancing with Emma). That moment is such a rip-off of the Darcy-watching-Elizabeth-play-the-piano-scene-and-then-daydreaming-about-it moment from Pride and Prejudice that it's not even funny. Well, it is funny, especially when you consider that he's imagining watching Emma dance when he was dancing with her...the total disregard to perspective cracked me up. ;)

I could go on and on, and mention Knightley's smack-down of Mrs. Elton regarding the as-yet-undetermined Mrs. Knightley being the only woman who would manage his social affairs, or Knightley's thinly veiled jealousy and concern about Frank's relationship with Emma, but I suppose I'll stop now. :) So tell me, at what point did Jonnny Lee Miller win you over? Because I refuse to entertain the possibility that he didn't. ;)

Review: Songs of Deliverance by Marilynn Griffith

Songs of Deliverance
By: Marilynn Griffith
Publisher: Revell
ISBN: 978-0-8007-3279-0

About the book:

They say time heals all wounds – but sometimes that’s just not enough.

Fifteen years ago, Zeely Wikins and Ron Jenkins were students most people had stopped believing in. Lucky for them, their teacher recognized they were the cream of the crop and just needed the right soil.

Thought they went their separate ways, the past has called them back to the school and the teacher who wouldn’t give up on them. Now they’ll have to decide what love really means – and whether they’re willing to dance to a new tune to get it. But can they rediscover the songs of deliverance that once brought them together? Or will their secrets keep them apart?

In this soul-searching and suspenseful story, Marilynn Griffith invites you to believe in the power of truth, love, and redemption.

Review:

I started reading Songs of Deliverance with a major disadvantage. Though I’d been under the impression that this was a standalone novel, the events that fill the pages of Songs are closely tied to Griffith’s preceding book, Rhythms of Grace. That said, having stuck with this book, once I caught on to the rhythm of the story I couldn’t stop turning the pages. This story covers so much more territory than the back cover copy would lead you to believe. Songs is the story of Zeely and Ron, childhood sweethearts torn apart by choices and a past history marked with breathtaking pain and suffering, defined by regrets. Brought back to the school where their story began, by a dying teacher who’d loved them and believed in them in spite of the road of heartache their lives had taken, there’s a chance for a new beginning. But before that is possible, ugly truths must be confronted, and light must illuminate the dark scars that have given voice to the lie that one’s mistakes are irredeemable. Songs is also the story of Grace and Brian, also called back to face their pasts by the same teacher. As a teenager, Grace’s life changed forever the night she was raped, and now, years later, she’s hungry to know the child she gave up for adoption. Brian also has mysteries in his past that need uncovering, But as secrets come to light and truths are revealed, this each of these individuals must choose whether or not God’s grace can make beauty from the ashes of their pasts.

This book opens with a bang, literally – an attack on Grace, a shooting, and then the aftershocks settle in as the trauma of that night shakes the lives of Zeely, Ron, Grace, and Brian to the core. It’s a shocking moment that works as a trigger, bringing each person to a fork in the road where they have to start choosing life or death, and choosing life is a hard choice that comes with its own perils, because in order to fully embrace life and redemption, scars have to be ripped open from decades-old wounds. As I mentioned earlier, not having read the preceding book I started Songs at a disadvantage. This wasn’t helped by the story’s point of view changing constantly. Chapters are devoted to each of the four principle characters, and even a few secondary players get their own spotlight chapter. The constant back-and-forth, with no regular order to the changes, is enough to give a person whiplash. But the story here is so compelling that sticking with it for the payoff is worthwhile.

I can’t think of the last time I read a novel where the brokenness of the characters, the heartache they experience, their journey towards wholeness left me broken open as well. There’s a raw, aching, refreshing authenticity to the faith found within the pages of this book. I could see where the spiritual thread of this story could be too heavy for some readers, but there’s no other way in my view for Griffith to resolve the issues facing her characters without honest, desperate faith she gives voice to in these pages. This isn’t a comfortable read – Griffith tackles the results of rape, abuse, and abortion, to name a few, and the result of lies made and kept for years, and secrets buried for generations to preserve an image or hold on to a prejudice. A valid argument could be made, I suppose, that the storyline teeters on the edge of soap-opera. But while that may have kept me engrossed in the novel, what I’ll take away from this book is the inspiring, raw and honest authenticity of each character’s faith. Songs of Deliverance is a beautifully-rendered story of the beauty that can come from brokenness, and of God’s never-failing redemptive power.

Review: Double Trouble by Susan May Warren

Double Trouble (PJ Sugar #2)
By: Susan May Warren
Publisher: Tyndale
ISBN: 978-1-4143-1313-9

About the book:

“I’m on the case, Jeremy. A great PI follows her instincts.”

PJ Sugar has finally found something she’s good at. Now she’s trying not to mess it up. Her first official case as a private investigator – well, technically a PI’s assistant – is house-sitting for a witness in protective custody. No danger involved, assures her boss Jeremy Kane, much to PJ’s disappointment.

“Marry me, PJ.”

At least PJ can take the next ten days to figure out the rest of her life…especially whether or not she should accept Detective Boone Buckam’s marriage proposal. But one break-in by a late-night prowler is enough to put Boone’s request on hold and send PJ’s sleuthing skills into overdrive. Clearly this witness is hiding something…and it may cost PJ her life.

Review:

After returning to her hometown after ten years on the run, and solving a major crime to boot, PJ Sugar is at long last ready to settle down and build a life for herself. She’s working as an assistant to Jeremy Kane, private investigator. It’s a dream job that feeds her soul-deep desire to make a difference in the lives of others, an opportunity to prove that she’s moved beyond her past. Settling into the new job is complicated by her old sweetheart Boone, who’s ready to settle down and pressing for a permanent commitment. PJ’s first solo assignment is house-sitting for the key witness in a major criminal trial. What should be a quiet gig becomes complicated when it becomes clear that their witness in protective custody is being targeted – and with PJ standing in for her, suddenly her life is on the line. Throw into the mix an elderly neighbor in need of help, and PJ’s nose for trouble has once again gotten her in way too deep. PJ must put her overactive imagination and all her sleuthing skills to work to uncover the bad guys – then, if she survives, she can figure out the kind of future she wants, a choice symbolized by the affections of two very different men.

I’m really glad I read the first two PJ Sugar books back-to-back. PJ’s story isn’t limited to standalone adventures – having the momentum that comes from reading her first two adventures back-to-back, it’s easy to see Warren’s superb characterization. In book one, PJ had to face her fear of overcoming her past, of living out a faith that would enable her to overcome the label “nothing but trouble” that earned her such notoriety. Double Trouble takes PJ a step further, diving headfirst into her new life, battling frustration and despair when getting it right seems like an unattainable goal. The idea God can work through our imperfections - in spite of them - and that accepting grace and trusting that His providence is sufficient is powerfully portrayed. The spiritual truths resonate because Warren’s characters are so wonderfully, achingly well-drawn and relatable.

I also loved how Warren explores the idea of choosing between good and better throughout the book. Both of PJ’s romantic choices are classic Warren heroes, each swoon-worthy in his own right. PJ’s romantic dilemma is so hard because both options are genuinely good guys, but in this volume Warren starts to develop critical differences between Boone and Jeremy and the futures they represent. While Boone’s affection for PJ is genuine, he represents PJ’s past, and his view of her is filtered through their shared experiences. Jeremy’s another story – he represents a future uninhibited by memories of PJ’s past exploits. He loves her, trouble-making tendencies and all, but most importantly believes in her now and in her potential. Through PJ’s character, Warren forces readers to confront the issue of trusting God – not settling for the good, but daring to dream and reach for an as-yet unknown future that He’ll walk one through each step of the way, if only we’ll invite Him on the journey. Double Trouble contains all of the elements that made PJ’s first adventure a success – snappy dialogue, well-drawn characters, and a page-turning plot. It ups the ante with more intense action, a better mystery, and a compelling spiritual thread that, if you let it, will encourage and inspire you to embrace God’s grace and provision. I can’t wait for book three!

Click to read my review of Nothing but Trouble.

Click to get info on the Double Trouble contest!

Double Trouble contest info!

To help celebrate the release of the 2nd PJ Sugar novel, Double Trouble, by Susan May Warren, I'm participating in the blog tour for the book and wanted to let you all know about a great contest that's currently running. Here's the info:



About the contest! Be sure to enter the Double Trouble Prize Package Giveaway by clicking on the ‘Double the Sass” button! Susan’s giving away an iPod prize package that is anything but troubling! Check it out!

Prize Details

Double Trouble, the brand new PJ Sugar novel by Susan May Warren, is in stores now! To celebrate the release, we’re running a HUMDINGER of a contest!!

One Grand Prize winner will receive a $150 SUPER SLEUTH prize package that includes:

* A brand new iPod Shuffle (perfect for those all-night stakeouts)
* A $10 iTunes gift card (we recommend the ALIAS soundtrack)
* A $10 Amazon gift card (why yes, they do sell spy pens)
* A $10 Starbucks gift card (for fuel, obviously)
* A pair of designer sunglasses (be stealthy AND super chic)
* A gorgeous scarf from World Market (can also be used as a blindfold, and/or for tying up bad guys)
* AND signed copies of both Nothing But Trouble & Double Trouble. (romance! danger! intrigue! sooo much better than Surveillance for Dummies!)

We’ll announce our super sleuth winner on March 1st.

* * * * * *

My review of Double Trouble is coming - if not tonight, than tomorrow. Till then, you can click here to read my review of PJ Sugar's first adventure, Nothing but Trouble.

Review: Nothing but Trouble by Susan May Warren

Nothing but Trouble (PJ Sugar #1)
By: Susan May Warren
Publisher: Tyndale
ISBN: 978-1-4143-1312-2

About the book:

PJ Sugar knows three things for sure:

* After traveling the country for ten years and hoping to shake free from the trail of disaster that’s become her life, she needs a fresh start.

* The last person she wants to see when she heads home for her sister’s wedding is Boone – her former flame and the reason she left town.

* Her best friend’s husband absolutely did not commit the first murder Kellogg, Minnesota, has seen in more than a decade.

What PJ doesn’t know is that when she starts digging for evidence, she’ll uncover much more than she bargained for – a deadly conspiracy, a knack for investigation, and maybe, just maybe, that fresh start she’s been longing for.

Review:

Ten years ago PJ Sugar left her small hometown of Kellogg, Minnesota, in disgrace, and has been running from her past ever since. After an unexpected call from her sister for help, PJ does the one thing she thought was impossible – returns to the scene of her “crimes,” the town she fled after earning the nickname “nothing but trouble” and being accused of setting fire to the country club. From the moment she sets foot in Kellogg for her sister’s wedding, everywhere PJ turns it seems that her failures and shortcomings are dredged up, crushing her hopes for a fresh start. She was always the wild child, frustrating her mother and leaving her best friend to cope with becoming a single parent. But perhaps the most painful – and dangerous – memories are wrapped up in the form of handsome, blue-eyed bad boy-turned-cop Boone, her former flame. Boone’s betrayal is the main reason she kept running, and his magnetic pull even ten years later is the primary test of PJ’s resolve to prove she’s genuinely changed.

PJ Sugar is a great heroine – fun, feisty, and daring, she’s no shy wallflower. A relatively new believer, she’s desperate to prove she’s finally making some good choices and will no longer disappoint people. Her drive to prove her worthiness to others and to God is extremely well-drawn and relatable. The harder she tries to fit in, the more she fails, but when she starts to realize that maybe, just maybe, God can use her redeemed, messy, unorthodox self in spit e of her best efforts does PJ start to loosen her grip on the past and walk into a future full of promise. Warren always does an excellent job incorporating a subtle spiritual thread into her stories, and PJ’s is no exception – it works because Warren doesn’t hammer you over the head with a message, she presents faith as lived out by her very real characters.

Susan May Warren has long been one of my favorite authors, but it’s been a while since I’ve picked up one of her novels (my TBR stack is out of control!). From the first, Nothing but Trouble was a great reminder of why I love Warren’s writing. The dialogue hums with life, and the plot grabs you from the first page and never lets go. The characters, from PJ to her mother to Boone, are multi-faceted and wonderfully real. Warren’s characters aren’t cookie cutter, flat creations – they’re messy and real and fun. Speaking of Boone, Warren excels at writing swoon-worthy heroes, and in this novel she gives us not one, but two charismatic leads to vie for PJ’s affections. I can’t wait to see how that one plays out (I’m pulling for Jeremy, the mysterious private investigator). I loved how Warren gives a nod to her time in Russia as a missionary. The unexpected culture shock PJ encounters with her sister’s in-laws provides fodder for some of the book’s most comical scenes. Part chick lit, part cozy mystery, Nothing but Trouble is an expertly plotted tale of romance, redemption, and grace.

Beguiled by Deeanne Gist and J. Mark Bertrand

This week, the

Christian Fiction Blog Alliance

is introducing

Beguiled

(Bethany House March 1, 2007)

by

Deeanne Gist

andJ. Mark Bertrand

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Deeanne Gist, the bestselling author of A Bride Most Begrudging and The Measure of a Lady, has a background in education and journalism. Her credits include People magazine, Parents, and Parenting. With a line of parenting products called "I Did It!® Productions" and a degree from Texas A&M, she continues her writing and speaking. She and her family live in Houston, Texas.

J. Mark Bertrand has an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Houston. After one hurricane too many, he left Houston and relocated with his wife Laurie to the plains of South Dakota.

ABOUT THE BOOK

In the shadows of Charleston, someone is watching her... Rylee Monroe, a dogwalker in Charleston's wealthiest neighborhood, never feared the streets at night. But now a thief is terrorizing the area and worse, someone seems to be targeting her.

Reporter Logan Woods is covering the break-ins with the hope of publishing them as a true-crime book. The more he digs, the more he realizes this beguiling dogwalker seems to be at the center of everything. As danger draws ever closer, Logan must choose: Chase the girl, the story, or plunge into the shadows after the villain who threatens everything?

If you'd like to read the first chapter of Beguiled, go HERE

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