BOOK TO FILM review - Vampire Academy / re-named Vampire Academy: Blood Sisters

Vampire Academy, a novel written by Richelle Mead - Film directed by Mark Waters, Screenplay by Daniel Waters. 

The Vampire Academy series have always had a special place in my heart as well as on my top ten favourite series of all time. So needless to say, I was bouncing off the walls at the thought of it being made into a movie. It was THE movie I had anticipated since I first picked up Richelle Meads VA and absolutely fell in love with the humorous and beautiful novel that had elements of both light and dark. I could sit and read VA in one sitting without even thinking about it. I love it, and so I had high hopes for this film. My first concern was that the water brothers had taken on this film to adapt for the big screen. Dont get me wrong, I think they are a great element in the film making world, having brought us Heathers and Mean Girls. However, the thought of this adaptation turning out like one of these stand along films felt... wrong. Yes, it's a movie that starts off being set in a high school... but it needs to be said that it is far from a cheesy high school drama. There are certainly elements of this, specifically in the first book, but there is this beautiful darkness about the book that is thrilling and makes it such a good read.

Soooo.... when went to see VA: Blood Sisters, I was sorely disappointed. Bluntly, the film was over the top loaded with humor, it had this weird crazy atmosphere that was even unrealistic (yes im aware its a vampire film... but if youve read the book, you know what I mean -- what the eff was with the headmistress?!?). It was a short film by this decades standards, and therefore the film came off as rushed and the story had no depth behind it. The relationships were not built up whatsoever, so Lissa and Christian came off as very unromantic, and I dont even want to say it.... but Rose and Dimitri? There was no building of their relationship/sexual tension, so much so that during the famous necklace scene I even felt a bit creeped out that they were geting freaky. The wonderful relationship they share in the book breaks their age barrier in a beautiful and equal way, whereas the film was... shudder inducing. In a bad way.

There was also a fairly tacky voice over by Rose during the whole movie, which I would consider as 'info-dumping'. I understand it is a tad complicated trying to explain the moroi, strigoi, damphir thing, but it was like 'hey theres this, this and this in my world...BOOM now you know all'. Umm okay, thanks Rose. Not to mention the fact that the info-dumping didn't even stop with the voice overs -- it was obvious that they needed to throw characteristics into the dialogue because they hadn't written the characters to actually PORTRAY those qualities. An example I will give is that, readers of the book know that Rose is the impulsive, fierce, fiery and protective guardian, whereas her other half, Lissa, is regal, quiet, humble and all things pure and good. Sure, in the film, Roses humor and impulsivity shone through like a wild-fire (a bit OTT as previously stated), however Lissa did not come off as the aforementioned characteristics. And the info dumping? I cant remember the exact line, but there was a piece of dialogue from rose - "Im the impulsive one and you're the cautious one" ... almost as though the writers were all like... Oh, maybe we havent reaaaally shown that, so Rose, you explain this to our audience. Gee thanks Water brothers.

This scenes flew by, and were fast and choppy and was actually quite difficult to follow, even for someone who has read the book over 5 times over. And there were so many differences that I didnt think was necessary. The beginning scenes, arriving at the academy for one thing, where a strigoi fight was thrown in there randomly. It was cinematic, for sure, but it felt a but premature. And I specifically remember turning to my partner in awe, within 5 minutes of the movie starting and saying "This never happened.... the differences have started already. So it begins..."

So there were moments I enjoyed, moments were I laughed, and TBH, I loved Mason, I think he was swell and that relationship came off just fine. But mostly, everything happened to quickly, when VA was a movie I wanted to savour and lap up (like the film 'catching fire'), so I couldnt help the disappointment that radiated off of me. I dont even want to begin to describe Headmistress Kirova, who acted like a psychopath with her long fake nails and creepy dialogue. Basically, it made the movie seem like a joke the way they portayed the atmosphere of the academy. It wasnt great. it wasnt even good.
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I give this movie a 2/5,
my lowest ever rating, because I was not a hampy camper when watching this film, and it was the one book to film adaptation I begged to the gods for them to get right. Hopefully there are sequels, and hopefully they get those right. Because dear gods, I want to see Adrian brought to life! SO SO BAD!

Any comments? Any opinions? Don't agree with me? Let me know! :)

x Chloe

BOOK TO BIG SCREEN REVIEW --- The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones

Mortal Instruments, City of Bones, written by Cassandra Clare --- Film directed by Harald Zwart, Screenplay by Jessica Postigo.

So guys, I decided I wasnted to start doing book to film reviews as well as just book reviews. So many people come to me and ask -- was it worth the $16 dollars to see this movie? Which is better? Well I'm here to say that generally the books are ALWAYS better, with very rare exceptions, because a screenplay generally just can't add all the beautiful scenes we picture in our heads, go to fast and rush the romanticism of it all. Yet everytime one of my favourite books gets made into a movie I happy dance, and then stalk it's progress like a crazy fangirl. Oh wait, I am that. And I always head eagerly to the premier, the excitement within me palpable -- and then I walk out of the theatre bewildered and upset at what was missed or what was completely wrong (although I will add usually I go into the movie initially with my book goggles on, so it's best if I see it more than once, so I can calm down and maybe enjoy more the second time).

So, seeing as the Mortal Instruments have always been one of my favourite series, as well as the Dark Artifices, so when I learned about City of Bones being converted to the big screen, naturally I was over the moon to have Jace, Clary and Simon brought to life. The book itself, is beautifuuly written with some scenes that made me laugh, and some that broke my heart into little tiny peices. The movie, you ask? Weeelll..... it was okaaaay....

First of all the casting was very up and down for me. I liked Lily Collins (Clarissa Fray) ability to act, I think she has great talent, however it has been years now with her, where I can't help but have that glass shattering moment when all I can look at is her eyebrows. I'm sorry, but they take up half her face, which is a very pretty face nonetheless. Jamie Campbell-Bower? He was good as Jace, I thought, and I particularly liked that he actually looked like a lion to me, which is how he was first described when Clary first came across him in Pandemonium. The character casting I enjoyed the most was Robert Sheehan, I absolutely LOVED how he brought Simon to life with the humor and the love he had for his best friend. Jemima west as Isabelle was sub-par at best, I thought she was very flat with her acting, when I pictured Isabelle as more of a feisty, passionate creature rather than what was shown, although that may have been the lines she was given, to give Jemima some credit. As for Valentine...Johnathon Rhys Meyers.... Im so sorry, but no. Just no. That is all.

The movie itself, I felt that some parts come off very strongly as so close to the book that my inner fangirl reveled in it, However about 70% was completely different, which I didn't appreciate nearly as much. I understand about the screenwriters and directors generally want to make the project their own, and to show their own creativeness, but when you're working on a book with a large fan base, it's just common courtesy and common sense at that to give the audience what they want -- and that's the scenes from the book made real.

For one thing, Pandemonium, at the very beginning happened differently. Yes it was more dramatic, because Clary was all AARGGHHH in front of the whole club, but it took away from the intimacy of the first meeting with Jace and the other shadowhunters, which originally happened in an empty room off the club. Book scene better! Not to mention that the whole end fight scene was in the institute rather than the abandoned building Valentine had been hatching his master plans in. Whats up with that? I understand they tied the story together and gave the institute a promotion of sorts by having more scenes there, but IDK... it was too 'pretty'.... the way that Simon was all like, oh hey, Clary, you're mums right here. Yup, ok.

[Spoilers ahead] In the book, it was one of the most heart breaking and soul shattering (and shudder inducing) moments when you learnt that Jace and Clary were supposed siblings. See now, this was one of THE biggest plot twists, which comes to a conclusion in City of Glass, the third installment of the series. And yet, they break that conclusion when Hodge suggests in the film for Valentine to lie and tell them they are both his children, and not just Clary. Giving it all away, that Jace is not, in fact, Valentines child. I can understand why they decided to add this, seeing as audiences who have not read the book may not take well to the incestuous plot twist.... yet I remember reading the end of City of Glass and being blown away by how it all came together to reveal they weren't brother and sister, and the events unfolding around with Clary's real brother. It was a bit saddening to learn that the non-reader audience are unable to have that revelation -- and also that if they come out of this movie to read the books, that its spoilt it for them, because I thoroughly enjoyed that aspect of the City of Glass. [Spoilers over]

On the brightside? There were some direct quotes that I liked alot, and laughed out loud in the theatre like a moron, prime example -- Jocyln - "Jesus!" Simon - "Nope. Just me". Ah, I love Simon.

Anyways, I would give this film a 2.5/5

Thanks for reading guys, any comments/suggestions for more book to film reviews, Im happy to review pretty much anything and read any work to review.

x Chloe

Angelfall

Penryn and the end of days series - Angelfall                       3.5 Stars

Author - Susan Ee

Angelfall is a book that I really enjoyed to live in for a while. It was another one of those post apocolyptic type books where the end of the world has happened and the majority of the human race has been wiped out, by angels. 

This was interesting, to say the least, and what I liked about it most was the fact that I had never read anything like it. I struggled to start off with, only because the style of writing was so different to what I was used to, but after trudging through the first few chapters I really started to dig this story, especially how interested I was in the character, Raffe. 

Clearly it was one of those stories about a human who befriends an unlikely ally, who is actually one of the bad guys - an angel who is on the run from his kind for some unknown reason for the time being and he is grounded - after having his wings cut off in the very first chapter. Raffe has to rely on Penryn, the protagonist of this story, and she needs to help Raffe because hes the only source to finding her little crippled sister, who was taken by the angels to their aerie. 

The journey they take together is very fun, I would say is the best word and once I got into this book it turned into the kind of book you don't want to put down until it's all over. I will say the ending was heart breaking and heart warming all in one go. Raffe leaving, thinking that Penryn is dead, and giving her body back to the humans, risking his own life? Holy jesus, just kill me now because I'll die happy. It was so beautiful and the worst thing was that when I first read this book, the second was years from being released. Good thing the second book is out now and Im about to dive into it. Review to come!

Basically I gave this book a 3.5 because, yes it was different, the characters were great and the story turned into a wonderful one - however I did struggle a little in the beginning to get into it, but that's just me. Hope you guys enjoy it too!

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