The Movies

A while ago I promised a review of the movies I'd seen over break. So here's a rundown for you:

• Winner of The Most Anticipated and Equally the Most Disappointing Movie of the Holidays Season award is The Golden Compass. I loved this book, no wait I LOVED this book. And I was so disappointed by the movie that Wes and I could have walked out. Not only did they stray from the book on major plot points, they changed even the smallest details even when using the details from the book would have taken less time to explain. To a non-reader, the movie was really complex and confusing. To a reader, events were out of order or missing entirely and motivations were altered or re-made. I will say that Nicole Kidman and Dakota Blue Richards were excellent - they really brought the characters that I had imagined to life. But as a whole, I found it disappointing.
  
• Winner of The Greatest Swashbuckling Adventure this holiday season was Pirates of the Carribean: At World's End. The third of this trilogy was a rollicking good time and a great adventure matey, ARRRRR.... Johnny Depp was fabulous, the effects were, as always, excellent and the plot was interesting.
  
• Winner of "It's fun but ... eh...." award was BBC's Robin Hood: Season 1. Wes points out this may have been because we watched the 4 discs almost back to back and the schtick got a little old. However, Jonas Armstrong (Robin) and Lucy Griffiths (Marian) were excellent and I enjoyed the adventures. I'm not sure that I'm in for season 2, or 3 (which is in production now), but it was entertaining, particularly during those long hours in the car and the night the snow stranded us in a hotel.
  
• Winner of the "Most fun at the movies over the holidays is National Treasure 2. I don't know how many more of these they can do, but I have really enjoyed the first two. Sure, they're not epic movies, but they are just an old fashioned good time. Of special highlight were the scenes between Helen Mirren (whom I love!) and Jon Voight.
  

Technically I have one more movie, Ocean's Thirteen but I might have fallen asleep in the middle of it last night when I got home from Kansas, and thus I might need to re-watch a bit before I review.

What did you see over the holidays? Anything good I've missed?