The Walking Dead - Season 1

Title: The Walking Dead

Year: 2010

Season: 1

Broadcasting Station: AMC

Official Page

Official Synopsis: Wounded in the line of duty, small-town Georgia sheriff Rick Grimes wakes from a coma to find the world infested by zombie-like "walkers." Alone and disoriented, he sets off in search of his wife Lori and their son Carl.

ELL SAID

Rating:

Review:

This season was, without a doubt, FAR too short. One step into it, and I was hooked. It's characters are varied (some made me hate them) and the Walkers, which are the Series' name for the Zombies, are just downright scary. Everything is top notch, but I wouldn't suggest it to many people. It's vocabulary is strong, definitely not child-appropriate, and the series is flooded by gore. Not only the Walkers eating living people (or a rat) but also people chopping a Walker into pieces to cover themselves in it's insides. So, unless you've got a strong stomach, be prepared. I must say, this series is well worth the gore. It really does deserve all the fame it's getting.

The Amazing Spider-Man

Title: The Amazing Spider-Man

Year: 2012

Director: Marc Webb

Rating (by MPAA): PG-13 for sequences of action and violence

Synopsis (IMDb): Peter Parker finds a clue that might help him understand why his parents disappeared when he was young. His path puts him on a collision course with Dr. Curt Connors, his father's former partner.

IMDb Page

ELL  SAID

Rating:

Review:

This is, by far, my favorite superhero movie of them all. The cast did an excellent job at portraying their characters excellently, specially Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone. Their chemistry as Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy was just perfect. Spider-Man was funny and quirky and literally amazing. At one fight, Spider-man actually moved like a spider. The movie was excellent. But, I have to point out two things, one of them is the reason I'm not giving this movie five stars.

One of the two things I disliked, was that there was never any closure to Uncle Ben's death. He dies, and Peter mourns for him. Then, Peter embarks on a quest for vengeance, yet he never finishes it, and his epiphany about being a hero simply pushes the Uncle's death from perspective. Uncle Ben is killed, but Peter doesn't get a chance to give that part of his life a close. It might be finished up in the next movie, but the writers should have given a closure to it.

The other thing was when Doctor Connors told Peter that he was 'all alone.' He said that Peter lost his parents and his uncle, and therefore, he was all alone. But, honestly? Peter has a mega-sexy girlfriend, and he has his aunt. That, by itself, is not being alone. Flash also seemed to have a change from the bully to a friend, so Peter also has him. So, Peter wasn't all alone, and Doctor Connors' statement was moot; ridiculous; and just plain out of context. It was merely an excuse to stall for time, so that the comeback would have been 'unexpected' and 'epic'.

STEPH SAID

Rating:

Review:

This was an amazing reboot of the series. The movie fully explains the origins of Spider-man and the main actor, Andrew Garfield, even looks like the cartoon version of Peter Parker. This new Spiderman is dorky and witty, and his story is really close to the original comic.

The movie was wonderfully written; having a bit of everything. Emotions were, also, well played: the movie made me laugh when it was funny and cry when it was emotional. There was no need for 50 explosions or gallons of blood to make the movie entertaining and interesting. The whole movie had a more realistic feel to it, as opposed to the exaggerated, cartoonish movies of old. Moreover, the characters were also realistic and marvelously portrayed.

Garfield was particularly impressive. He was fairly unknown when he was chosen and yet I'm sure he stole everyone's hearts. He is a natural. He made Peter feel like a normal teenager, with all the doubts and anger that comes with that stage. But what surprised me the most was his ability to be so naturally awkward. He managed to make me blush and feel embarrassed for him whenever he was talking to Gwen. I loved, as well, his Spider-man's enactment: his facetious personality and spider-like movements.

Some people have criticized this movie due to some technicalities, and others because they think the movie has a grave mistake: Gwen's father was attacked and dying and Peter should have given him the serum. However, if Peter would have give him the serum, he would have turned into a lizard; but, when the effects wear off, he would still have the injuries, just as Dr. Connors was still missing his arm after he took the serum. Also, if Gwen's father had taken the serum and turned into a lizard he would have turned irrational and wouldn't have accepted any help from anyone, so the let's-give-him-the-serum-to-buy-him-some-time theory is out of the question.

I disliked that the movie didn't offer a sense of closure for Peter's uncle; there was no funeral and, apparently, the murderer was never caught. I also didn't like when, near the end, Dr. Connors tells Peter that he is "all alone". I was like: "what about his aunt and girlfriend?"

Besides these, the movie, as a whole, was entertaining, amazing and interesting. It is a must watch.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days (Book 4)

Title: Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days

Author: Jeff Kinney

Year: 2009

Synopsis: It’s summer vacation, the weather’s great, and all the kids are having fun outside. So where’s Greg Heffley? Inside his house, playing video games with the shades drawn.

Greg, a self-confessed "indoor person,” is living out his ultimate summer fantasy: no responsibilities and no rules. But Greg’s mom has a different vision for an ideal summer . . . one packed with outdoor activities and "family togetherness.”

Whose vision will win out? Or will a new addition to the Heffley family change everything?

STEPH SAID

Rating:

Review:

I was not expecting much from this book, since the last one was a major disappointment, but this book was actually good. It has some good jokes that made me smile and laugh. There were some moments that made me feel pity for Greg, he is so naive sometimes. The story is about what you'd expect from reading the synopsis: Greg's many occurrences and shenanigans during the summer. He played pranks, got into trouble, found love and more, all the while being as awkward as ever. However, I don't think the title of this book is accurate, because the dog only appears for a few pages. It should have been Summer Days, or something like that.

Mirror Mirror (2012)

Title: Mirror Mirror


Year: 2012


Director: Tarsem Singh

Synopsis: An evil queen steals control of a kingdom and an exiled princess enlists the help of seven resourceful rebels to win back her birthright.

STEPH SAID

Rating:

Review:

This movie is a very good retelling of Snow White’s story; it has the perfect combination of classic elements with some modern touches which unfolded a likable, witty and charming new version of an old story. 

I love how well the old and the new complimented each other, and not just story-wise. Even though, thinking about it, Mirror, Mirror doesn’t have actual, physical, modern elements. Snow White is not a high school underdog that fights against the cheerleader captain or something like that. The story keeps its classic setting but there’s something about it that makes it feel more relatable to present-day viewers. Could be that the topics presented in the movie are actually timeless: honor, money and love. No matter the year, stories revolve around, at least, one of these topics.

Julia Roberts and Armie Hammer’s characterizations were splendid. Roberts was magnificent as always. I loved how she managed to be funny whilst being mean and/or cruel. And Hammer, well, I had never seen any of his performances so I thought he was chosen for this role for his good looks. Nevertheless, after watching this movie I can say that I stand corrected. His portrayal of a puppy was hilarious, surprising and, awkwardly, dead on. 

When it comes to the cons, I didn’t like that the truth about the beast in the woods was predictable. I don’t know why I saw it coming from the beginning of the movie. Also, I was expecting more Sean Bean! I literally screamed when I saw him, but then he was onscreen for about three minutes. Very disappointing. Another things is the scene with the poisoned apple at the end, it felt forced. It felt like the makers of the movie wanted to include the apple because it’s Snow White’s most iconic moment, yet, they didn’t have where to include it, so they put it wherever they could. Granted, it makes sense; it still felt forced to me, though.

However, these moments that I disliked are but a very small part of the movie and don’t spoil the whole experience. This is actually a really good, entertaining movie and story. I could, and have, watch this movie many times and I still enjoy it.

Doctor Who (2005) - Voyage of the Damned

Title: Doctor Who

Year: 2005

Broadcasting Station: BBC One

Synopsis: A spacecraft set on an apocalyptic collision course with Earth, a host of killer robot angels and an evil severed-headed mastermind - it's just another Christmas for the Doctor... 

ELL SAID

Rating:

Review:

I didn't really like this episode as much as I should. More angels, though nothing as cool and scary as the Weeping Angels, appeared in this episode. The Doctor is, in my opinion, strange throughout the whole episode and the final events made me think the story was too loose, leaving me with a bazillion theories to how the Doctor could have saved the girl. I really loved 'Alonso, Alon-sy,' and when the Doctor presents himself. I also was laughing out loud when they were talking about the people of Earth ("And then they go to war with the people of Turkey!") It was a weak episode, and only one or two moments actually made me feel anything besides slightly amused; like, when the red little being turned out to be a Cyborg with an E.M.P. in his chest. Apart from four or five tiny, not-very-important moments, the episode wasn't good. Definitely not what I've come to expect of Doctor Who. Then again, David Tennant continues to make an excellent Doctor.

STEPH SAID

Rating:

Review:

I don't know what to say about this episode; it wasn't good, it wasn't bad, it was just there. It definitely has a moment or two that are quite funny, and a moment or two that are daring and inspiring. However, in an episode that lasts more than an hour, four two-minutes moments don't amount to much. Also, the companion's ending left an awful aftertaste because it was completely preventable.

This episode is just unmemorable, and not important to the actual story of The Doctor. However, one of its characters has a brief, unessential appearance later on in the show. If not for this tiny detail I would tell everyone to skip this episode.

Doctor Who (2005) - Series 3

Title: Doctor Who (2005)

Season: Series 3

Broadcasting Station: BBC One

Official Website

Synopsis: A third season of sci-fi adventures for the venerable British Doctor with his brand new assistant, Martha.

Official Trailer


ELL SAID

Rating:


Review:

This season is one I love to hate. See, most of the episodes in this one were great, such as ‘Blink’, ‘Human Nature’ and even ‘The Lazarus Experiment.’ The reason I say I love to hate it, though, isn’t the episodes. It’s Martha Jones. She’s whiny and dependent and her family is almost as annoying as Rose’s. She does, however, help The Doctor out with some stuff, but she still has an odd feeling to her. David Tennant, once again, made an amazing performance. The Doctor was, almost literally, the jewel of the Season. But, of course, he had a big contender once Captain Jack Harkness made his return! Season three definitely has some of the best episodes ever, and I can honestly say I don’t dislike any of them. Though, somehow, I wish I had seen more of the Jack/Doctor banter like it was with the Ninth Doctor.

STEPH SAID

Rating:

Review:

I'm beginning to see some improvement in this show. This series is way better than the ones that came before it; it was not perfect, but it was better. 

The first half of the series is a bit dull, and getting to know Martha Jones was a difficult task. She is a nice girl, yet, I don't know why, but I don't like her. I guess is the fact that she wasn't just a companion and friend. As she confirmed in the end, she was mostly traveling with The Doctor in the hopes that he would fall in love with her. And that just annoyed me; always with sad puppy eyes, always sighing and getting jealous of every woman. I understand The Doctor is an exceptional man and that any girl could fall in love with him. However, with Martha, I felt like she wasn't enjoying her journey because she was too inmerse in her feelings towards The Doctor.

The second half of this series was the total opposite: it was intense, intriguing and extremely entertaining. Every episode had me on the edge of my seat. Also, every episode featured a problem The Doctor couldn't solve, either because he was trapped, possessed or not himself. It was really nice to see him trusting and relying on other people to save him. This also led to Martha taking the reigns of some situations and actually doing something. In the end she proved herself useful and my opinion of her changed a bit.

The best of episode of this series is, once again, Steven Moffat's. "Blink" is such a great episode that it has become one of Doctor Who's best episodes overall, is one of the fan's favorites and its villain The Weeping Angels were chosen as the Scariest Doctor Who Villain in a BBC poll. This episode was amazing; Moffat is a genius.

The ending of the series was really good, though it was a bit anticlimactic because it didn't include a final showdown. The series story arc was better than previous ones and was, also, better constructed. The Master was brilliant; John Simm's performance was impeccable. He was a great match for David Tennant.

From now on Doctor Who will only get better. If you have liked the show so far, brace yourself for what's coming.

The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (Special Extended Edition)

Title: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (Special Extended Edition)

Year: 2001


Director: Peter Jackson

Synopsis: A meek hobbit of The Shire and eight companions set out on a journey to Mount Doom to destroy the One Ring and the dark lord Sauron.

Official Trailer

STEPH SAID

Rating:

Review:

I'm glad the director of this movie, Peter Jackson, is a fan of Tolkien. His work is impresive, detailed and magnificent, enough to make any other fan proud. The Lord of the Rings is an original, visually majestic, perfectly constructed story and Jackson made it justice.

The Fellowship of the Ring was an amazing introduction to the story. It clearly explained the origins of The Ring, and started the journey to destroy it. The story overall was epic and thrilling. Some say it is too long and slow, thus making it boring. Since this is the first part and introduction of a trilogy, is not action packed from beginning to end; characters and background stories have to be presented.  However, Jackson did a great work presenting these in an interesting and exiting way. I enjoyed every second of it.

The movie was visualy impresive; the landscapes and cities were glorious, dinamic and very vivid. The hobbit's hometown, The Shire, Rivendell and The Woods of Lothlorien were beautiful and impressive. Mordor and Isengard, on the other hard, were monstrous, yet, no less impresive. The characters who live in these cities or regions are varied and different from one another, each with a different and established lifestyle, history and viewpoint. Which leads me to the actors portraying said characters.

The casting for this movie couldn't have been better. I've been trying to decide who is my favorite character based on the actor's perfomance alone and have not succeded. Every actor excelled at their job, each of them put their heart and soul on their enactments. 

Two things I did not like of this movie; however, they are so small, they don't affect my feelings towards the movie and thus, it still received five stars. First, in the two battles Frodo was involved, Weathertop and Moria, he just fell and laid there while Aragorn saved him. He didn't fight or try to defend himself. He was just lying there. And, second, when Legolas said that going through Moria was "needlessly". It was explained that there was no other way to cross the mountains and Gandalf said he wouldn't go through Moria unless there was no other way. I don't understand why he thought it was needless. 

When it comes to the book, this movie is an amazing adaptation. Jackson managed to maintain the feeling, essence and the important moments of the book, while quickening its pace so it could be more thrilling. Jackson also include many small moments that are not important to the story's development and, yet, are important to maintaing the essence of what Middle Earth is: the stone trolls, the songs, Gandalf's magnificent fireworks, among others. Nevertheless, what I loved the most was the ability to actually see the impressive landsacape portrats Tolkien painted in his book. In addition, the movie makes it easier to understand the background story of The Lord of the Rings. The book gives you bits and pieces from time to time, yet in the movie, it is all summarized at the beginning.

I know I have written a lot, still, I'm falling short. There are no words to fully describe, and make justice to, the story, the landscapes, the characters, the actor's natural endowment, everything. You will have to watch the movie or read the book to fully undrestand why so many people love Tolkien's stories.