Reviews

It's so cliché to whine about book-to-movie interpretations, but this was a poor effort.

I have read the book twice and really enjoyed it. It was fascinating how the author managed to string such a complicated plot together through time and space. This would need to be the greatest feat of any attempt at a movie adaption.

Visually, I enjoyed finding the scenes in my mind from the book recreated beautifully, just as I had imagined. It was like seeing the book come to life. But the amount that was cut out was disappointing. It hauled ass through the foundation of the book - Clare's childhood. Never properly covering the issues there. I understand some things need to be cut out - but there are so many themes and such a lot to cover to achieve a real depth, like the book has. Unfortunately, the movie just didn't achieve it.

I think anyone watching the movie, without having read the book would struggle to follow what was going on. More development was needed on: how traumatized Henry was by the death of his mother and reliving it over and over, his relationship with his father, the fact that Clare felt she was so desperately in love with Henry - even from an early age, plus lots of other areas.

*ENDING SPOILER* The way Henry dies was particularly cloudy. He is shot by his father in law in a hunting accident (in the movie) but hunting is not set up through the rest of the movie like it is developed throughout the book. In the movie, it seems suddenly and conveniently... "Oh, he's shot... hunting accident... that sucks..."

Anyway, I still enjoyed it.

Rachel McAdams is perfect as Clare. Eric Bana is good as Henry, though not quite as described in the book. Plus he was a little cheesy with his American accent at times, particularly when speaking to young Henry at the scene of his mother's death. But maybe I'm just extra critical and looking out for his stuff up's as a fellow Aussie :)

Ron Livingston was an odd cast for Gomez. Livingston is notably not tall and blonde.

Anyway... Movie - 6 Book - 9

What a shocker of a movie. Don't bother.

Let me start off with something nice to say... Visually it was a good looking film. The effects looked great. Most of the fights scenes were reasonably well done.

Now to the bad = all of the rest of it. The plot was ridiculous. The villains reeked of that 80's cartoon scariness. He must be evil because he's got a deep voice and laughs evilly. No real other substance to them.

Women were objectified and sexualised in this movie. It seems it would be a shock to Hollywood sum of a woman is not just as eye candy or to "belong" to a man.

Whenever Anna acts violently, it's always sexualised. She's flirting with or kissing her victim. Her top is unzipped enough for the cleavage money-shot.

C'mon movie makers, give your viewers some credit! It's not just guys that go to see these movies. Women enjoy action movies, you don't have to insult us in the process.

It's unrealistic that Anna is taking revenge on her ex-fiancé. It's supposed to be Duke's fault that her brother died IN A WARZONE!? Stupid. No normal person would hold him accountable, even if she did asked Duke to take care of her brother, she could never expect Duke to forfeit his duties just to protect him. Dumb.

Racist undertones where present too. Apart from the black guy being a complete stereotype - you know it's pretty bad when part of his diologue is "I'm the black guy, I..." Are they kidding? Not worth watching. 2 Stars.

For me this movie was underwhelming. Cheri as a character was vacant, and I struggled to believe there was anything in him that would attract Lea to him. He wasn't that attractive, or intriguing. He never SAYS anything, as Lea mentioned herself. And there was no real explanation of why they got together in the first place - even though it seemed set up by HIS mother... to what, keep him out of trouble? Implausible.

Lea was a cute character. But Pfeiffer's portrayal was a touch bland. There was no great passion there.

Cheri, who apparently had great "passionate" love for Lea, quickly and easily detached himself and married some other girl. A marriage which he took to fairly well for a while. This also seemed off.

And then the ending? Stunned me. It just seemed unnecessary.

I wouldn't watch this again, or recommend it. It's random and vacant.

This movie is rubbish. My DVD player died close to the end and I couldn't care less. One presumes Gray ended up with that worthless morally defunked piece of crap. What on EARTH could have attracted her to him. Perhaps she thought he was pretty? Fine.

But what about the fact that he knew her fiancé had fathered a child... he knew... never said anything and what - she's just fine with it? And she witnessed him having sex only a couple of feet away through a shower curtain at her fiancé's wake? Oh yeah - that makes me want a guy so bad.. hearing him getting it on with another chick.

And this is a chick flick is it not? Where were the other chicks? She was entirely surrounded by dudes. The only chicks that materialised briefly, were her former-future-mother-in-law who was a cow and her fiancé's one night stand who was a piece of fluff.

This film was just rubbish.

I know this is a particularly scathing review - but WHEN WILL Hollywood START PORTRAYING WOMEN IN THE REAL WORLD! Geez!