(500) Days of Summer (2009)

★★★★

I loved the way this American movie was done in the style of French movies, à la the use of a third-person narrator. The multiple references to French music and film also seemed to pay homage to the French. Quirky and clever, this movie is definitely a "romantic comedy", but atypical in that it explores both the positive and negative of how relationships develop and fall apart. Plus, great soundtrack.

Atonement (2007)

★★★★

I'm a little surprised at myself for giving this movie four stars, since I rated the book five stars, and the movie does a remarkable job of staying true to the book. I actually even liked the movie's ending better than the book's. Reading the book first surely influenced my movie viewing, and I kept thinking that if I hadn't already read the book, I wouldn't have been able to understand what was going on in the movie as well. It jumps around - just as the book did. Also, just like the book, the movie abruptly switches gears at one point, and maybe that's harder to pull off in a movie. Of course, knowing what was going to happen took away the suspense, too.

Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Battle of the Labyrinth (#4) by Rick Riordan

★★★½

Probably the first book was rated higher than the others partly because the mere premise of the entire series impressed me. The next two books increasingly disappointed me, but I'm happy to say that this fourth book in the series rekindled my interest.

For the first time, Riordan re-told a significant portion of a Greek myth instead of just making a passing reference. I appreciated how the original myth added context to the story. I also liked how the Labyrinth - like the Sea of Monsters in book two - kept the story focused and provided for a good medium by which the heroes could encounter difference places and different monsters. Finally, I liked the way Riordan incorporated a healthy environmental message.

As with the last two books, there were a few annoyances, mostly involving inconsistencies. Even though pride is supposed to be Annabeth's fatal flaw, her ridiculous behavior putting petty pride before the quest seemed uncharacteristic. Also, somehow Tyson was strong enough to tear the bars off a jail cell, but not strong enough to break through some ropes?

Overall, I'm glad to see the series picking up, and I hope the next book, the last in the series, won't disappoint.

The Golden Compass (2007)

★★★★

My rating may be artificially high because I did enjoy the book as well. For once, I even think the movie is better than the book! The movie simplifies the story here and there to make it work on screen, and frankly, I think the changes make the story tighter. Memorable lines made it into the movie, and I liked the visual translation of all the characters, especially Serafina Pekkala. Interestingly, the movie ends before the dramatic finale of the book; I assume it would be included in a sequel.

Though I haven't yet finished reading the trilogy, my understanding is that while The Golden Compass is mostly harmless, it sets the stage for the religious controversy laid out in the rest of the series. My impression is that the movie is the same - religious authority is never mentioned explicitly, but the Magisterium could easily be interpreted as such.

Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Titan's Curse (#3) by Rick Riordan

★★½

I don't know if there's just "too much of the same" as the series progresses, but I just didn't enjoy this book as much as the first two.

The first book did a good job of not making Percy Jackson too Harry Potter-esque, especially by having Percy understand the importance of keeping Chiron apprised of all relevant dreams and information. The second book started to falter in this regard, and now the third book has Percy Jackson inexplicably and annoyingly withholding information from Chiron.

This book also seems to conveniently forget that Percy is not supposed to fly. In the first book, the heroes need to go out of their way to complete the quest without allowing Percy to enter the realm of Zeus, i.e., the sky, but in this book, Percy is somehow able to fly without issue. Almost even more frustrating is the single line by the author admitting that Percy's flying was dangerous, and then casually dismissing the concern.

The adventure meanders quite a bit, and the many different aspects of the quest make it difficult to see a central, unifying purpose. Some details are so convoluted they are ridiculous even for a fantasy novel. The evil mastermind who chooses to converse with his captured foes rather than killing them forthwith is, of course, reminiscent of James Bond.

The writing itself also seems lacking. It's even more informal than previous books - at times even conversational - and the author tries too hard to be funny. The book comes across as more immature, more targeted to a young audience than perhaps the first two books.

I did like the way the author began to explore Percy's emotions in this book, and the way he incorporated the Mythomagic game. But overall, the few positives didn't outweigh the many negatives enough for a higher rating. I still plan to finish the series, though, and I hope I'll find at least a couple of the books down the line more enjoyable.

The Time Traveler's Wife (2009)

★★

I've been known to appreciate quite a few romantic comedies, but very few straight-up romances. Even with the sci-fi component, this movie didn't pull me in. A few good scenes, but mostly kind of slow. The problem with time travel is that unless you are meticulous in story-telling (which is rarely the case), there's always something that will make you think, "Why can't he just do blah blah blah?" to solve a problem. The implication of fate and lack of free will is disturbing, too. I was turned off by the older man / little girl relationship (innocent, yes, but still creepy), and my favorite character, Alba, didn't show up until the end, and then I didn't get enough of her.

The Golden Compass (His Dark Materials #1) by Philip Pullman

★★★★

*** Warning: This review contains spoilers! ***

When Ken Netflixed this movie, I had zero interest in it, so Ken watched it on his own. Recently, when I told Ken I was in the mood for some light reading, he picked this book up from the library for me. Well, I liked it so much, I will certainly be re-Netflixing the movie for myself.

The book's plot is centered on mysterious particles called Dust and their relation to humans. As the book progresses, the reader begins to understand that characters in the book believe Dust is a physical representation of sin; adults attract Dust, but children do not. It becomes clear at the end of the book that while Mrs. Coulter - with the support of the Church - is researching a way to prevent children from ever attracting Dust, Lord Asriel - without anyone's support - is concerned with finding a way to eliminate Dust entirely. I know there is quite a bit of controversy surrounding this trilogy in regards to its position on Christianity, but so far - keeping in mind that this book is set in a fantasy world - there isn't anything that offends me. (It may or may not be worth noting at this point that the author is an atheist and Humanist.)

What I really enjoyed most about this book was the fantasy aspects. Each person has a daemon, a physical representation of his/her soul. The daemon takes the form of an animal, one that reflects the person's character, and stays by the human's side at all times, never being more than a few yards away. They can speak and they have their own thoughts, and they can also act on behalf of their humans. They are constant companions, confidants, sounding boards, and even protectors. Who wouldn't want one of their own!? I very much enjoyed imagining this world in which daemons were as much a part of human life as humans themselves.

I also really enjoyed the existence of armored bears. These massive animals were bears in every way, but they also talked and were skilled metal-workers. At first I thought talking bears might be too silly to take seriously, but they really grew on me, and Iorek Byrnison became one of my favorite characters.

While I liked the author's style of prose, I was bothered by the way he minimally introduced characters and ideas, not fully explaining them until later. Of course he was droppings hints as a way of foreshadowing, but in addition to having my interest piqued, I also just got plain annoyed. And, sometimes coincidences seemed to propel events forward in a too-convenient type of way.

I also felt like the book left me with unanswered questions. Why did Lyra take the spy-fly from Farder Coram in the first place, instead of just letting him keep it? Of course it turned out to be useful that she had it, but she couldn't have known that in advance. Why is it, exactly, that Lyra can read the alethiometer without any training? And as Lyra was captured multiple times by other groups, it was clear why she didn't feel safe giving her real name to the Tartars, but why did she give her real name to the armored bears? What is the author getting at when he says that even though Lyra frequently tells complex and fantastical lies, she actually has no imagination? And finally, why did Lyra even bring Roger to Lord Asriel in the end? Why didn't she just leave him to rest comfortably in Svalbard?

The ending was not entirely satisfying, but I think that can be forgiven because this book is only the first in a trilogy. I was, however, especially confused about the way Mrs. Coulter was portrayed at the end. The entire book painted a certain portrait of her character, and then seemed to introduce a whole other side to her just in the last few pages. Still, I definitely look forward to reading the rest of the trilogy, and maybe a few of my questions might even be answered. I have, however, been forewarned by other reviews that the author's atheism takes a more prominent role in the sequels.

Up in the Air

★★★★

The ultimate message was comforting and familiar, but the opposite of what I thought this particular movie's message was going to be. (I thought it would unapologetically celebrate the freedom and luxury of travel.) The 23-year-old character of Natalie was a caricature, but that's what made her entertaining. I thought George Clooney's character's behavior at the Dos Equis seminar was over-the-top dramatic, but whatever. Overall, the entertainment value is why I gave it 4 stars.