Jaguar Warrior by Sandy Fussell

What would you do if you were imprisoned in a box, waiting to be sacrificed to the Sun God? You’d want to run. You’d want to get as far away from there as possible. Unless, of course, you believe the gods will listen to your sacrifice and spare your people. When Atl [Ay-tell] is released amidst an attack by the Spanish Pale Lord, and told to run to a neighbouring city for help, he sees it as an opportunity to run for freedom. But something more sinister and unforgiving is chasing him, and if he is caught, slavery is no longer an option. Death will quickly follow.

Sandy Fussell has created a rich, fast-paced novel that drags you in so you don’t realise that she is also giving you a light history lesson. Ancient cultures are fascinating; the Maya / Inca civilisations of South America in particular.

Atl finds that (although he doesn’t want it - to begin with) he needs help on his journey from both humans and gods. Even if the gods delight in spilling human blood, which angers Atl. But his journey gives him time to contemplate the nature of sacrifice, slavery, friendship, courage, and pride. What I loved about this book is that Atl’s contemplations provide a great opening for the reader to think about these things too. What kind of gods would demand the slaughter of their subjects?

I really like the cover too.

4 Gold Stars

Find it on Goodreads

The Exquisite Corpse Adventure

The Exquisite Corpse Adventure is one of those "progressive stories" where one author starts off and writes one chapter, then passes it on to another who has to expand the story in their own way for one chapter, before handing it over to someone else.

Clearly you can see how this could quickly get out of hand. Deliciously out of hand. 20 separate imaginations, all poured into one story, trying to deal with the cliff hangers left to them by previous authors, that playful one-up-man-ship has led to a very funny, extremely entertaining story.

Those involved are:

M.T. Anderson

Natalie Babbit

Calef Brown

Susan Cooper

Kate Dicamillo

Timothy Basil Ering

Jack Gantos

Shannon Hale

Steven Kellogg

Gregory Maguire

Megan McDonald

Fredrick L. McKissack

Patricia C. McKissack

Katherine Paterson

James Ransome

Jon Scieszka

Lemony Snicket

Chris Van Dusen

The whole thing was organised by the National Children's Book and Literacy Alliance (NCBLA) through their website read.gov. The concept came from the game that is played by families on long trips, children in classrooms and on camps, and has been floating around for quite some time. I remember playing the illustrated version of it as a child where a pages is quartered and lines drawn to mark where the neck, wrists, waist and knees will be, and an 'exquisite corpse' is drawn where no-one knows what the other parts of the body looks like. HERE is an example (I hope that link works).

Anyway, onto the book itself!

As you may know, I'm a collector of quotes and so I thought the best way to talk about this book is with the  help of a few choice quotes.

Jon Scieszka, being the delightfully dry, and lover of the absurd sets the whole story in motion, taking the opportunity to set the scene and finding a way to influence the rest of the story with his very short first chapter. One part in particular:

"If the train makes it over the last treacherous gorge, there is a good chance that you and Nancy and Joe will have to deal with werewolves and mad scientists, real ninjas and fake vampires, one roller-skating baby, a talking pig, creatures from another planet (possibly from another dimension), killer poetry, clues from classic children's books, two easy riddles, several bad knock-knock jokes, plenty of explosions, a monkey disguised as a pirate, two meatballs, a blue plastic Star Wars lunch box (missing its matching thermos), a ticking clock, and not just one bad guy but a whole army of villains, cad, scalawags, sneaks, rats, varmints, and swindlers. Also several desperados, a gang of evildoers, and one just plain bad egg."

I love it! He's effectively set out everything that's going to happen! 

Then, as the story progresses, there are some authors that stand out as just being brilliant! Kate DiCamillo, for one, had lots of moments that had me laughing out loud. 

Lemony Snicket, like you might expect, had a rather amusing disregard for where the story might have been going up to the point it fell into his lap, and he took it in a completely different direction. He also made a rather funny use of metafiction (to a degree, anyhow):

"Think how far we've traveled since that night on the train, and yet our journey is as confusing as mysterous as it ever was. It's as of our lives are being written not by a single, beneficent author, but by a whole team of authors pushing the story every which way, the way an Exquisite Corpse, is built from whatever scraps are found."

I won't go on for much longer. Hopefully you can see by now that this is just good fun. It's authors having fun, it's illustrators having fun, it's READERS having FUN! I laughed a lot while reading this book.

Just quickly, I'll mention that unlike the authors, the illustrators could see nothing other than the sections of the book that they were illustrating. It led to very different styles and interpretations (as is the point).

James Ransome

Calef Brown

Timothy Basil Ering

Seven Kellog

Chris Van Dusen

All In all, The Exquisite Corpse Adventure is a largely entertaining read because of its story, by this I mean both its narrative and how it was put together. I thoroughly enjoy some good old fashioned team work and not taking things quite so seriously. 

I should point out that if any teacher read this, there is a fantastic site HERE that is packed with classroom ideas and activities etc for a chapter by chapter break down of the book. 

4.5 Silver Stars

Find it on Goodreads

Liesl & Po by Lauren Oliver

When 2 or 3 specialist children's book sellers that I know had effectively said to me that Liesl & Po was their pick of the year for 2011, I knew I was onto something special. One of them asked me if I had read it yet every time I saw her.

Well I have read it now, and what do I think? I thought it was fantastic!

Lauren Oliver is carefully deliberate with her words and the way she stitches them together that you know she has the skill that some authors lack. What I mean by that is this: quite often, a book will be written because someone had a good idea for a story. That's fine, but they don't necessarily have the skill to inspire awe with their writing technique. And i'm not saying that these books aren't worth reading either. But what I love, what Oliver has achieved here, is the brilliant combination of having a great story AND knowing how to string a sentence together that isn't the same mix of words that has been used so many times before. I don't mean laboured either! The note from the author in the back said she wrote it in a concentrated two month period.

The result is an easy to read, beautifully written, engaging adventure story that reveals just enough of the human condition to be genuinely moving and insightful.

I don't want to go on too much on what it's about. You're more than capable of reading the back of the cover in whatever shop you'll by it from (or the blurb on the website, if you swing that way). I'll just sum it up like this: It's about a girl, a ghost, a pet, a boy, a box filled with the most powerful magic in the world and a string of other characters that are out to help, hinder, or just look after the common good.

4 Gold Stars

Find it on Goodreads

4/40

The Tale Of Desperaux by Kate DiCamillo & Timothy Basil Ering

I've long loved Kate DiCamillo but haven't read as much of her as I would like. I've only read The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane and the Magician's Elephant, both of which were absolutely beautiful. It occurred to me, during my fleeting time off over New Year, that I had time, and the desire to finally read her most popular book: The Tale of Desperaux.

Now I've been told by countless booksellers that their personal favourite is The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane but I've also heard that Children's favourite is The Tale of Desperaux. Personally, I think that The Magician's Elephant was my favourite, But really, it's like six of one, half a dozen of the other. They're all brilliant! (well, I can only speak of the 3 that I've read).

But on to the book at hand! The Tale of Desperaux won the Newberry Medal (most of what Kate has written has won something...) and then was turned into a film that certainly helped it along in popularity with children everywhere. I've heard lots of stories of teachers reading it to their classes a chapter at a time and having entire classes enthralled. Now that I've read it, I understand why. It was just fantastic.

Every time I read something that Kate DiCamillo has written it just drives home how much of an inspired wordsmith she is. She has a way with words that moves me greatly and makes me think I'm kidding myself that I want to be a writer. (I mean this is a positive way, if you understand me. She raises the bar for writers everywhere). And she's funny! She has me laughing and gasping in wonder at the way her sentences just work. On so many levels, they work.

The Tale Of Desperaux is about a mouse that is born very small compared to the average mouse, and born with his eyes open (which "just isn't done!"), and with very large ears. He develops in a way that is in no way typical of a mouse and is banished to the dungeons where the rats live after he shows himself to Princess Pea.

All I can say is that Desperaux's tale is one that is perfect for readers of any age, and so perfectly crafted that it lends itself to being read aloud. Bed-time-Story-time-Any-time, Chapter-by-chapter or all in one sitting, it is perfect to be devoured or savoured as you wish, but consume it you must! You might get a new appreciation for soup too... but I'll let you discover why.

5 Gold Stars

1 / 40

Immortals

A bit of background before you think I’m crazy for being desperate for rushing out to see Immortals.

Years ago I saw the movie ‘The Cell’ and thought it was really interesting. True, the acting wasn’t the best, and J-Lo and Vince Vaughn of all people? But that aside, the ideas behind it and the imagery in its finishing were fascinating.

Several years passed and my brother sent me a message saying ‘If you liked Pan’s Labyrinth, then you’ll probably like The Fall.’ As it happened, Pan’s Labyrinth was my favourite at the time, so I thought I’d check out ‘The Fall’. I’m not sure how he heard about it, because very few people I speak to, if any, have heard of it (It was never released in Australia either to the cinema or on DVD). When I saw it, I knew I had found gold. The Fall became (and remains) my all-time-favourite-movie (if you force me to pick just one).

A short time later I saw on IMDB that Tarsem Singh was working on something new. Sorry, to clarify: he directed both The Cell and The Fall but up until then hadn’t directed any other films. So news of a new one, and one based on Greek Mythology no less, was extremely exciting.

So, I have been waiting almost 3 years to actually see this from when I first heard of it. Unfortunately my excitement started waning when I saw the preview. It appeared he’d gone blockbuster/action. Still, I wanted to see it.

So, this week was the time! It had arrived here was an opportunity…

It was as I feared. “The producers of 300” (apparently a drawcard) had decided they wanted to make the same movie over again, but borrow some of Tarsem’s visionary genius to paint on top of it. Over the top action sequences that not only tried to glorify the blood that was literally free flowing like exploded water balloons, but attempted to make it somehow artistically beautiful as well. Semi-naked buff bodies filling up rooms like a ball pit, and a script that was predictable and unfulfilling.

It was ridiculous. Did I enjoy it? Yes, but I was still disappointed.  It was magnificently ridiculous and beautiful. I hope that sometime in the future Tarsem can find it in himself to make genuinely brilliant film like The Fall again, but if his next venture is anything to go by, it looks like a exponential decline.

I feel I need to mention how uncomfortably loud the cinema was, and how pointless and annoying the 3D aspect was. For an industry that wants to encourage movie patronage, they seem to be going out of their way to turn people off the cinema experience. I for one was just reminded how much I prefer to watch movies at home where I can control the volume and am not forced to pay extra to wear a 2^nd pair of glasses while watching a movie. (yes, I mean forced. I searched for a non-3D session in VMax and found I would have to drive for an hour and a half to see the one session a day in which that option was available.)

In summary, it’s possibly worth watching for the Tarsem shell they’ve encased it in, but do not be fooled that you will be seeing anything new, and know exactly what you’re signing up to.

Lara Morgan's Rosie Black Blog Tour

The RosieBlack Chronicle’s second installment, Equinox, has just been released at the beginning of November. This fantastic series by the talented Lara Morgan is a great dystopian sci-fi adventure that has you gallivanting across the Australia of 500 years in the future and zipping up to Mars and back to uncover evil corporate cover-ups and save Rosie’s family. Using Lara’s own term, I’ve been one of her ‘Minions’ right from the start. These books are what I would call accessible sci-fi. By that I mean it doesn’t get bogged down in astrophysics (and why should it?) but saves room for all the action and adventure you would want! With a little bit of romance thrown in too.

This is a very special blog post: I’m very excited to be involved in Lara Morgan’s Rosie Black Blog Tour! I got the privilege to ask Lara some questions about Getting Published, a topic that’s very close to my heart, being that my aspirations lie in the very same sphere. Also, at the end I’ll let you know how you could win a set of books 1 and 2 of the Rosie Black Chronicles.
So it’s with great pleasure I welcome Lara to my blog.

What was your first published work and how did you go about getting it published?

My very first published work was a short story called Salt and it was published in the Australian Women’s Weekly because I won their short story competition in 2003. And that win was what really put me on the road to being a professional writer.  I only entered the competition because my sister made me. Basically she posted me the entry page and nagged me until I just did what she said. I guess I owe her eh? My first novel was published in 2008. It was the first in a fantasy trilogy called The Twins of Saranthium, the third and last installment of which I’m aiming to complete next year.

How did that experience lead you to Walker Books Australia for Rosie Black?

I guess after writing two very big adult books, I really wanted to try my hand at something quite different – which is how The Rosie Black Chronicles came to be. And at the time my publisher for the fantasy trilogy wasn’t looking for any new YA work so my agent went to some other publishers and Walker was one of them. I guess you can say the rest was history.

Sometimes people don't realise how much work is involved in publishing, particularly the editing process. How long did Equinox take to write compared to editing?

The actual writing of Equinox took about five months whereas the editing stretched to around six or seven. So yes, the editing was longer but I think that can be a good thing, especially when you’re working with editors who are super committed to making the book work. I actually kind of expect the editing to take longer because it’s really at that stage that other people are properly seeing it for the first time and as a writer you’re getting all this feedback which helps make it a better book. It just takes a long time sometimes to knock it all into shape!

What did the publishing process bring out in Rosie that surprised even you?

There’s not much Rosie can do that surprises me because we are joined so closely together – like peas and carrots, or white on rice – but what did surprise me is some of the plot turns that came out of the editorial sessions when I was working on Equinox. Obviously I can’t give away any of them because that would be spoilers, but it was fantastic to still be able to be surprised by plot possibilities after I thought I’d tied them all up.  

Do you have any advice for writers that are looking to get published?

Be prepared for the long haul. Getting published can take a long, long, long time from when you started. It took me ten years to get a book deal and I know we always hear about those so called ‘over night’ success, but it’s best not to believe in it. Save that belief for yourself and your work and stay committed to keep trying even after everyone around you has done that raised eyebrow thing that says you should give up. Obstinacy is a handy trait to cultivate for a writer. And so is finishing things. I always tell people to force yourself to finish that first draft, no matter how bad it is, because all writing is rewriting and most everything can be fixed in the edit. And enter short story competitions because you never know, you might win and that looks good on your CV when you’re trying to get an agent or publisher to read your work.

And finally, tell us how you feel when you look at your published books.

Everyone always expects me to be excited, but it’s more complicated than that. Satisfied, is a more apt description. It’s such a long time from when I’ve started the book to when I hold that paperback in my hand that it’s almost a relief that it’s finally done. Most authors understand this reaction but other people look slightly perplexed, like I’ve told them a joke where the punch line makes no sense. Which, to be fair, does sometimes happen to me because I cannot tell jokes. But, anyway that’s how I feel. It’s satisfying, a long deep sigh with the muttered words, ‘yes, that’s it, it’s done,’ as I put it on the shelf next to the others. Then I get back to the one I’m working on now, because for me the story is always most alive at the beginning when it’s just me and the computer and I’m off in another world. So must dash, Rosie and Pip are waiting in the wings for book three!

Ciao and thanks.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Right! So stamina is what I will need on the road to published-dom… Thanks for the heads up! I’m certainly glad you stuck with it, I can’t wait for the next instalment of Rosie Black!

Check out the trailers for the first two here:

Finally, as promised: a competition! With a very special thanks to Walker Books Australia

Win a set of The Rosie Black Chronicles Books 1 and 2!

The Competition has now closed.

This is how it will work: 

1. Ask Lara a question through the comments below, she will respond here while the tour is with me. (Be sure to include your name)

2. Like my blog on Facebook (so I can get in contact with you if you win).

3. Lara will pick her favourite question as the winner and I’ll post you the books.

Easy!

Thanks so much for joining me here in my humble little blog Lara, it's been great!

On Facebook you can find  Rosie HERE, and Lara HERE

Tensy Farlow And The Home For Mislaid Children by Jen Storer

It all started with judging a book by its cover. The jacket of Tensy Farlow really jumped out at me and got me intrigued. I somehow acquired a reading copy (I think I was working in a bookshop at the time) and I brought it home with every intention to read it. The only trouble was, I was bringing so many books home and then reading other things, or not having the time because of uni work that it soon got left behind.

So for two years this sad and sorry state continued. Every time I saw the eye-catching Tensy in a shop I would think to myself, I should read that, oh wait, I’ve got it at home…

Then a few weeks ago, I updated my book database (yes I’m that kind of nerd) so that the “Read it” option was actually representative of what I had read. It was at this point I discovered 45% of the 1100-odd books I currently own are sitting on my shelves, unread. I knew this needed to be rectified, so I implemented a new policy in my book acquisition: Focus on Picture Books until I have read more of the fiction I own. I have a habit of getting copies of books I like the look of (fiction, I mean) and then not reading them. This has got to stop. Admittedly, it’s predominately because I have so much reading for work and uni that personal selections tend to take a back seat.

However, the point of that whole story was to say that the first book I picked up on my quest to read what I own was Tensy Farlow and I’m really glad it was! If I enjoy half of what I’ve got left to read a fraction of how much I enjoyed Tensy, then I’m in for some good reading.

Tensy was not very much like I was expecting, (it’s hard to build legitimate expectations from cover alone) but it was so much better! Set in a more magical first half of the 20^th century, we are introduced to Guardian Angels and other less seemly creatures that occupy our world with us. The tale then follows Tensy who seems to have been born without a Guardian Angel and all of the problems that causes her, such as being abandoned at birth.

This book is filled with fantastic characters. From Albie Gribble, who finds the baby and becomes besotted and just wants to look after her, to Madam Pluckrose, the delightfully wicked matron of the Home for Mislaid Children who you just love to hate. Even the Angels each have such vivid and varied characters, Jen Storer certainly isn’t short of imagination, nor the skill to back it up.

When I reached the end, I had very mixed emotions, but not for the reasons you might guess. I discovered that it was a stand-alone title. Now, I think there should be more stand-alone titles and I kind of feel like every other book is in a series, as if the art of the genuinely good stand-alone is being lost. But at the same time, I really connected with the characters and the world in this book and wanted more of them. Hence, my mixed emotions. I love a good series, and I LOVE a stand-alone.

I loved Tensy Farlow.

Mortal Engines by Philip Reeve

The world is there to be consumed, right? If I can use it, I’ll take it and make it mine.

This is the basic idea behind the world of Philip Reeve’s Mortal Engines. Well, as I see it anyway. Reeve has taken the idea of the rich and powerful taking and consuming what they want, from whoever they want, and labelled it ‘Municipal Darwinism’. This ‘delightful’ idea is set in a post apocalyptic/dystopian world where engineers have placed their cities on wheels and which now roam the planet eating smaller towns and villages in order to make use of their consumables.

“It’s a town eat town world out there.”

A staggering idea, perfectly executed.

You can see it all happening, right before you on the page, right before us in the future. A world where city life means never setting a foot on the filthy, muddy earth like the savages in the few static towns and cities.

Throw into this world an adventure that involves a number of teenagers, murder, conspiracy, pirates, the fate of thousands of people, and a whole lot of ideological conflict and you’ve got one hell of a story!

I kept picturing the whole thing as if it was a Studio Ghibli animation, and that suited me just fine! I have seen that it’s on IMDB but I’m sure it’s not Studio Ghibli and it’s only “in development” so who knows when it will be turned into a movie, and what that will be like.

In any event, this is a brilliant book! And I can’t wait to read the rest of the series (when I find the time! There’s now 7 books all up!)

The Flaxfield Quartet, Volume 2: Fireborn by Toby Forward

Ok, so anyone who has read my older posts, or that I’ve spoken to any time in the last few months, should have an idea how much I LOVED Dragonborn by Toby Forward. I think even Toby himself has an idea as he honoured me by commenting on my blog post. I must admit I was cuffed! But what can I say, I needed to tell the world that loved it!

So much so, I even squeezed in a re-read of it before reading Book 2 in The Flaxfield Quartet: Fireborn. I had other book-industry friends look at me in surprise and say “How did you manage to re-read a book? I wish I had the time…”

Where did I find the time? I made it. I set aside a whole day and read Dragonborn from cover to cover. Nothing else was achieved, which was perfect; I had nothing else I wanted to do. It was even better through the 2^nd time, but that’s a story for another day. This post should be about Fireborn.

Fireborn takes us back to before the events of Dragonborn and we get a detailed description of what happened to bring about the wild magic and set things on an unpredictable and dangerous path. Stories told in book 1 that appeared to be myths or legends to teach a moral turn out to be truth. I don’t want to say too much, in case I give something away. This is a series that any self respecting fantasy fan (or fiction fan in general) should be rushing out the door to get their hands on. And now! Before you start being told by too many people how good it is. Be one of the first, the originals, who tell their friends to read it and can say they were there at the beginning.

Fireborn holds its own against Dragonborn. I think neither outshines the other; both are exceptionally crafted.

On a personal note, one thing I noticed reading book 2 (and thinking back to book 1) was how brilliantly Toby Forward uses unanswered questions. As in many real life conversations, people ask questions that sometimes will prompt a change in topic by the other person to avoid answering. Or an allusive answer is given. This happens regularly throughout both books and, for me, it made it more real, and so much more compulsive!

Fireborn has confirmed what I suspected after I read Dragonborn: Toby Forward deserves a place on my shelf (on your shelf too) next to Usula K. Le Guin, J.R.R. Tolkin, Patrick Ness, Phillip Pullman, and the other great writers of fantasy. As an aspiring author myself, I found myself taking mental note of various writing techniques that Toby Forward has used that inspire me endlessly. I have been caught a few times smiling wistfully to myself by my partner, and when asked ‘what are you thinking?’ I confess sheepishly that I had been thinking about The Flaxfield Quartet.

Thank you again Toby. Now the final two instalments in this series will be very significant events on my calendar. 

Missed the first one? Read my review HERE

Your Highness

When I saw the trailer for Your Highness, I thought, ‘That looks pretty funny! It’s about time that there was a fanstay/comedy that actually had a semi-decent budget and cast.

Now I’ve had a chance to see it, I can tell you this: it is very funny*

*I need to qualify that. It is hilarious, if you like inappropriate and crude humour. Not the kind of movie you would sit and watch with your parents. (especially if your parents are the reserved type, who much prefer good clean fun).

But, if you are not easily offended, and want an action, adventure, fantasy, comedy (not for kids), then Your Highness could be your cup of tea. Oh and there’s LOTS of swearing…

It’s the type of film I found myself asking ‘why did Natalie Portman agree to this?’ and then answering my own question: ‘because she would have just finished working on Black Swan and ANYONE would want a silly laugh after that!’

Let’s just say, it makes you rethink what a warrior’s trophy from a kill might be.

Super 8

Welcome to my inaugural “2 Sentence Review”. This type of review has come about because I (completely independently) came up with the idea to write Haiku Reviews, only to discover that I was not the first to have such a thought and so my brilliance would get lost amongst the myriad of other such review blogs. Then, watching Super 8, a new thought occurred to me. How about I sum up my thoughts in two sentences?

I haven’t had the heart to check the net to see if anyone else has done this, and frankly, I don’t care. My blog will not be dedicated to the 2 sentence reviews, they’ll just be there when I can succinctly sum up my thoughts. (Hooray! I hear my readers cheer… Lord knows I can waffle on…)

So, all introductions aside, on with the show:

Super 8

First it was boring.

Then it was silly (maybe if I was a kid again?).

The Fifth Element

Last night I took a trip down memory lane and watched The Fifth Element for the first time in what I thought was over a year, but then when I looked at my list, it is actually 19 days short of a year (yes, I’m that kind of nerd that has kept a record of every movie he’s watched since the beginning of 2003 when the idea occurred to me). It seems I watch it once a year just to remind myself of how fun it really is.

Anyway, loser-ish-ness aside, I thought I would write a bit of review of it because I love it so much.

Something that I noticed last night, that seems to have gone unnoticed by me in previous viewings, was that the costumes were done by Jean-Paul Gaultier. Then it hit me: This movie is so camp! It’s a great futuristic, sci-fi adventure that sees a scantily-clad Milla Jovovich running around and kicking butt in order to save the world. In other words: Too much fun!

There are some brilliantly edited sequences that are incredibly entertaining. To a certain degree, it pokes fun that the whole ‘stop the death of every living thing’ type of film, where Bruce Willis’ character is even asked specifically to “save the world.” Then to have the entire climax to the film be narrated ‘live on air’ by the ridiculously over the top Ruby Rhod (Chris Tucker) just leaves you smiling.

For a film that was made in 1997, it has held up against all the new developments in CGI etc. and is as entertaining now as it was at the time. Although now we can look back and laugh at Luke Perry’s top-billing casting for his 3 mins of screen time.

I even said last night that this is one that I need to replace with a blu-ray edition. It’s one I watch often enough to warrant a second buying, and the edition I own just won’t cut it anymore.

I know this review has said next to nothing, but really, if you haven’t seen it, you should. And if you have seen it, don’t you think it’s time to watch it again?

Sucker Punch

I was so excited to see Sucker Punch, I was hanging out for it ever since I saw the trailer. I had loved Watchmen. And 300 was well done for what it was. So girls-kicking-butt-to-escape-asylum seemed like it would be too much fun.

It was so over the top and ridiculous that it just seemed to be doing things because it could: Sense and Reason be damned! And sometimes that type of thing can be great, so maybe it just caught me on an off day when a little more substance wouldn’t have gone astray.

There were three main things that irked me with this movie:

1) More than half the movie was in slow motion. Or that’s what it felt like anyway. And it’s not even slow motion that lets you savour the exciting near-misses, or gravity-defying jumps. Yes, I can see she is walking into the asylum. Yes, I can see she is glancing at that person. I don’t really need it spelt out to me like I have never seen a movie before or have no notion of narrative. This technique was used in a really classy way in Watchmen, and the other films Zack Snyder directed. But it’s almost as if he had run out of ideas and because it worked before, he’d just use it again and again. The first half-an-hour (and then some) felt like a glorified music video.

2) I lost all sense of reality. I know this was the point of the movie, but it went like this: Story begins in real world. Then girl gets taken to mental hospital by evil step-dad. Then after getting a glimpse at the real state of things, we’re thrust into a fantasy version of the asylum where it is set up like a club with performing girls. We can only assume that the guy who runs the place (in the real version) pimps out the patients. Ok, I get that and I get that a club scenario is a much sexier way to describe that situation. Then within that make-believe world, the girls dance, and when they dance they enter an epic-fantasy-war-zone of various descriptions. In this imaginary world they manage to achieve the steps they need to in order to escape. And they emerge from the ‘dance’ with the outcome reflecting what happened in that over-the-top battle. And again, I accept that within the premise of the movie. What annoyed me was, we didn’t ever come back to the ‘real world’ until right near the end when everything was going wrong, and throughout it all I couldn’t work out a reasonable real-life comparison to the imaginary events that we were being shown. Sure, I could see how they fit into the “club” scenario, but not an actual mental hospital. Not to mention that the main character is still wearing her “dance costume” when we are well and truly back in the real world which left me thinking, wait, what the hell is going on here?

3) I’ll keep this one short just to avoid spoilers and because I’m starting to feel like I’ve spent long enough talking about this movie. The ending was weak, predictable, and entirely underwhelming.

So, if you’re interested in seeing a movie that apparently is more about girls in sexy outfits kicking butt in an extremely un-realistic way than it is about anything understandable or relatable, then Sucker Punch is for you.

Who knows, when I’m in the mood I might find myself watching it again, desperately trying to make sense of it. At least then I’ll know what I’m getting myself in for.

The Adjustment Bureau

The was not the movie I was expecting. The original trailer I saw made it out to be a non-stop action, heavily FX-ed sci-fi adventure. But, having said that, I would have been happy to watch such a movie. It had still made me excited to see it.

It was not that movie, however, and felt a lot more grounded and worth watching.

I felt like a bit of an idiot at the end when the credits started rolling and I was informed that it was based on a book by Philip K. Dick. “Oh…” I said to myself, “that’s why I liked it so much.” It’s moments like that that I think that I should have researched the movie a bit more before watching it. I generally really enjoy movies that are based on books by Philip K. Dick. Admittedly, I’ve never read any of his books which, I’m sure, is a huge oversight, but in my own defence, I find that there is too much YA fiction to read so I have to make do with movie adaptations of adult novels.

Anyway, back to the movie of the hour.

Firstly, a good third of the film passes before anything sci-fi/fantasy-ish happens, by which time you have a great sense of ‘real life’ as it has been constructed. Then, enter the mysterious agents of “The Adjustment Bureau.”

Even at this point, I was still expecting it to be typical Hollywood and get carried away with itself, but the whole thing was pleasantly restrained. I was engaged and lapping up the theory of how tiny events can change what happens in the future eagerly. How the Adjustment Bureau are there to keep people “on plan” by making you get a text at this time, or spill your coffee at that time etc.

Honestly, the resolution was a little weak, but without destroying the mystery of the Bureau, it’s probably the best that could happen.

It was a great movie!

This trailer gives a bit of a better sense of what the movie is actually like:

The Triplets of Bellville

I know it has been a while since The Triplets of Bellville was released, and that it won 18 different awards, and received 22 nominations including 2 for Oscars. But it was one of those “I really want to see that, but it’ll wait till I have the opportunity” type films.

Well, I’ve finally had the opportunity and now I can see what all the Hoo-Ha was about.

This is a bizarrely comic and intriguingly dark animation at times, but entirely entertaining. The very sparse dialogue works in its favour as it is incredibly visually engaging. I saw it without subtitles and I don’t think anything was lost. Almost all the characters have been exaggerated to the point that speaking wouldn’t have added anything anyhow. Like the mobsters that are nothing but bulk and are all literally indistinguishable from each other, or the cyclists that know nothing other than cycling and occasionally make horse noises like the work-beasts they appear to be.

Also, I thoroughly enjoyed the ridiculous exaggeration in engineering seen in the very tall buildings as well as the ship seen here:

So, if you’re looking for a musical adventure that is at times slightly disturbing but delightfully nostalgic from start to finish, this one is for you.

And I have to say, this movie contains one of the best car chase scenes I have ever seen. :)

The Troll Hunter [Trolljegeren]

The opening minutes of this film had me concerned: text describing how the ‘footage’ was obtained, then how it was examined and found to be “genuine”. It then begins with student reporters tracking down a story about some bear shootings and all the footage is done with a hand-held camera.

‘Oh no,’ I thought, ‘could this be a Norwegian ‘Blair Witch’?’

Maybe, in it’s original appearance, but it is so much more than whiny teenagers getting lost and freaked out in the woods.

The bear shootings, we soon find out, are all part of a “larger” problem: Trolls. These university reporters eventually find their way to a strange man who is very evasive at first, but then concedes to have them tag along as long as they do exactly what he says, when he says. It turns out that he is a Troll Hunter (hence the title) that is hired by the government to control the troll population of Norway.

What does all this add up to?

FUN!

I loved the whole thing! Such unpretentious fantasy is so refreshing! I’m rather concerned that Hollywood will find this one and remove its charm in the process of remaking it for an “American Audience”.

Troll Lore is worked in well, including the usual “you can’t believe what you hear in fairytales” that seems to make an appearance in all modern retellings of anything originating in folklore.

The CGI is convincing as well, particularly considering the ‘poor’ quality of the hand-held footage. You could almost believe what you were seeing, which works in a strange positive way for Tourism Norway. I know I want to go to see the trolls, if not the amazing scenery.

Love it!

Flip by Martyn Bedford

Flip by Martyn Bedford has a very simple, yet very appealing premise: What would you do if you woke up in the body of someone else?

The (fantastic) jacket says it even punchier: “Ever wake up in someone else’s body?”

But just because the premise is simple, doesn’t mean that any of the solutions are. When Alex wakes up in a strange bedroom, a strange house (complete with another mother, someone else’s sister) he thinks he is being punked. Wouldn’t you? After all, Alex has never heard of Phillip. But then he catches a glimpse of himself in the mirror and realises that things are much more like the Twilight Zone.

This is a gripping read that teens would love. It was one of those books where I kept loosing track of time while I was reading it, looking up every now and then to find an hour or more had disappeared.

9

When I first heard about the movie ‘9’ I thought that it looked pretty cool. It looked like another kid’s movie that might be a bit different from the others out there, but essentially, a kid’s movie. I finally got around to watching it last night and I really, really enjoyed it!

It was not the childish fun and games I had thought it to be. From the very beginning I was enthralled by the animation. Its detail and complexity were stunning, managing to be dark, sinister and beautiful all at once. If nothing else, this film would keep you entertained visually from start to finish.

While I must admit, that the story line itself was fairly standard for children’s movies, the themes in it were more grown up. It brought to mind films like The Matrix and Terminator with the battle between human and machines being the driving force. In some regards, this one is even bleaker, as it begins after the death of the last human and even the machines have begun to fall silent.

The other aspect that made me feel it was slightly more mature than what first I perceived it to be, were the monsters ‘The Machine’ built for itself. One in particular was so delightfully creepy, it gave me shivers as I sat, slightly freaked out and disturbed, watching it. Even the ‘good guys’ (hessian or leather dolls held together with their own, unique fastening) had a fascinating warped quality to them. I don’t want to attribute it all to him, because he was only one of the producers and there were so many more people involved, but you could easily see patches of Tim Burton’s influence through the film.

If you like animated films, or even if you don’t but you like things that are slightly different or unusual, the go check out 9. There more than enough in it to enjoy.

The Ranger's Apprentice: The Ruins of Gorlan - John Flanagan

Back when I worked in a bookshop, I sold the Ranger’s Apprentice series by John Flanagan in bucket loads; I doubt anyone who has worked with children’s books retail in Australia would argue that this series seems to work. But other than to say “these books are really popular” or to dutifully merchandise them, I never took much more of an interest.

Fast forward a few years, and as far as I can tell they are still going strong, despite being up to book 10 or so in the series. So, having no spare time to fit in a physical reading of any of them, I acquired the audio book of the first one and gave it a go in my plentiful driving time.

I can now see why the Ranger’s Apprentice books are so popular.

There are more than enough Arthurian knights and castles and battles to satisfy the more avid fantasy readers, yet none of the magic that would normally turn off those who are not that way inclined. It is accessible fantasy. As a fantasy fan, I would even attempt to use The Ranger’s Apprentice series to subtly draw the non-believers in, show them what they’re missing out on.

John Flanagan’s writing is easy to read, without being simple. It’s descriptive, without being overwrought. Character and plot development move forward hand in hand so there is never a dull moment. If only I had the time to go right onto the next 9 books!

I also want to mention William Zappa’s reading as well. Maybe it was the relief of hearing an Australian production, with no grating accents or strange pronunciations, but this was a very enjoyable audiobook to listen to. Zappa’s voices were well executed and didn’t hit that level of ‘cartoon ridiculousness’ that many audiobooks do. I know that at some point I will listen to the rest of this series, because for me the characters are embodied by Zappa’s reading of them.

Trash - Andy Mulligan

Someone whose opinion I respect told me that this book could be the most important Children's/Young Adult to be released in a number of years. I wondered what he could mean by that and whether I would agree with him. So, I looked to get myself a copy and it jumped the queue that is forever piling up.

It is told from the point of several people who were 'involved' in the events that unfold but primarily from three boys who live on (both physically and economically) the garbage dumps of a large city in an un-named Third World country. These boys, like so many other poor people, make their money by sifting through the garbage that is forever being piled up in the tip and selling bits and pieces of scrap that they find.

One day, one boy finds something that will change the lives of he and his friends in a bigger way than he could have imagined.

The book then unfolds like a classic crime mystery, but from the point of view of the innocent third parties that take it upon themselves to get to the bottom of it, Discovering massive governmental corruption in the process.

I found the whole thing fascinating and could not help but view it in light of John Pilger's film The War on Democracy which I only saw a few weeks ago.

You can watch pretty much the whole thing here if you want: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3739500579629840148#

In this way, I would have to agree, this is the perfect book to open up discussion about the way so many people in Third World countries are forced to live and how greedy individuals withhold the bettering of entire nations.

Brilliantly crafting the perspective that jumps from character as they each give an account of their part in the story, Mulligan establishes the feeling that it is not just one radical revolutionary that is sorry for their lot, but the collective feeling of most that poor are not simply passively inviting their poverty: it is actively thrust upon them as those with power abuse it.

It is hard not to be repulsed by accounts of the filth the poor have to endure simply to stay alive, or not to be moved by the heartbreaking realisation that children must attempt to survive (although quite often do not) in these situations. Sometimes it to too easy to forget what is happening elsewhere in the world when we are constantly surrounded by our own comfort, our own troubles and our own books. Therefore it is fantastic when a novel, particularly one aimed at younger readers, is so successful in reminding us of this.

And it is when we are young that we need to be made aware of these situations. Igniting interest and passion in young people is like setting in motion the snowball effect.

But without getting to deep into political discussion, I will get back to the book. And similarly, if the reader were disinclined to take the discussion further, Trash can be read as an exciting adventure of boys thwarting police. But when it comes down to it, it poses the question: What is trash? or Can people be so easily disregarded as trash?