Sunday, February 7, 2016
Saturday, February 6, 2016
Male Characters I Like (And Why) by JediTeen
Here are some of my favorite fictional characters. They are all male (although they aren't all human). Enjoy!
MOVIES:
Luke Skywalker: One of my favorite characters ever is the Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker from the Star Wars movies. I love how he grows up from a whiny farm boy into a fully trained Jedi Knight. I love how he doesn't want to kill anyone, especially not his father, and how he refuses to fight him in Episode VI. Another thing I like about Luke is how he will disobey authority to save his friends!
Obi-Wan Kenobi: Another Star Wars Character, another Jedi. I like what Obi-Wan can do as a Jedi in Episodes II and III, and how he teaches Luke how to use a lightsaber in Episode IV.
Marty McFly: Are you ready to go back in time?. Marty McFly is just an average 80's teenager who gets swept off to 1955 in the film Back To The Future. In the second film he goes to the fture, and the third film takes him to 1885!
Superman: Who comes to ind when you think of the word super? Superman! He is super fast, super strong, and super good at saving the day!
Flik: Flik is an ant in the Pixar film, A Bug's Life. I love how Flik finds the courage to defend his colony from a hoard of greedy grasshoppers with the help of loyal friends like Princess Atta and a troupe of circus bugs! How would you expect an ant to be a hero?
Kristoff: A rugged mountain man and an ice seller, Kristoff makes for an unlikely friend in Disney's Frozen. I love how he helps Anna find her sister Elsa, and is even willing to leavde Anna behind.
Olaf: A friendly snowman from Frozen, Olaf has one strange desire: to see summer. But he is willing to melt for Anna!
Marlin: Here comes super dad from Finding Nemo! Marlin is a great fish father who is willing to face sharks to find his son!
Gru: A super villain? Super Daddy? Stealer-of-the-moon? Gru, the super villain from Despicable Me, is one of many of my favorite kinds of villains: the kind who have soft spots. It turns out that Gru is touched by little girls with cookies!
Remy: Remy is a rat from Pixar's Ratoutille who wants to cook! But of course you can't let a rat into a kitchen! Poor Remy!
Wreck-it-Ralph: Have you ever heard of a bad guy who wanted to be a good guy? There's Ralph for you. Disney makes a movie that is perfect for retro video game fans, like me. Ralph is the bad guy in the game, but he knows it doesn't always have to be that way!
Don Lockwood: The iconic character from the best-loved Musical of all time is Don Lockwood from Singin' in the Rain! In the transition from silent films to talkies, Don finds out that love can be more important than fame!
BOOKS:
Harry Potter: The famous wizard from J. K. Rowling's best-selling Harry Potter books, is actually one of my favorite characters! Sort of a Luke Skywalker armed with a wand instead of a lightsaber! Harry definitely has a saving people thing!
Jeffery Tifton: Jeffery is the lonely musical boy in the Penderwicks series who befriends the four Penderwick sisters over a summer vacation.
Laurie: Everyone who has ever read the classic Little Women (or seen the movie) knows Laurie! He is a wonderful friend to the March sisters.
Mr. Darcy: A stiff and formal character from Pride and Prejudice can be an unlikely friend. It turns out that he can also be a lover.
Henry Huggins: Henry is a classic character from the children's books by Beverly Cleary. He befriends a stray dog named Ribsy and a girl named Beezus.
Charles Wallace Murry: Charles Wallace first appears as a young boy genius in A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L'Engle. I love how he knows more than most people, but still has the open mind if a child.
Calvin O'Keefe: Another boy from A Wrinkle in Time, Calvin is the oldest of the band of three children who set off to different planets to find Meg and Charles' father. He is good at protecting them and being a good friend.
Taran: Lloyd Alexander's The Chronicles of Prydain series is based on Welsh Legend. Taran, an assistant pig keeper and unlikely hero wouldn't hurt a fly unless the fly was hurting his friends. He can even befriend the strange creature Gurgi.
Doug Sweitick: Doug is a boy from a 60's family in the novel Okay For Now by Gary D. Schmidt. He finds comfort in the painting of Audubon when faced with family problems.
Winnie-the-Pooh: Lovable teddy bear Winnie-the-Pooh is best known in his Disney form, but he actually first appeared in the classic books by A. A. Milne.
Frodo: Frodo is the primary Hobbit in the Lord of the Rings trilogy by J. R. R. Tolkien. He is an amazing hero, aad he decides to bear the great burden of the ring.
Winn-Dixie: Winn-Dixie is the name of a grocery store, but it is also the name of a dog in Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo. He helps a lonely girl find friends in her new town.
Friday, February 5, 2016
Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (Needs Help From the Light Side) OR "Help From The Light Side Revenge of the Sith Needs."
As I stated in my last post, I recently watched Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith for the first time. It was both better and darker than I expected. I was prepared for certain intense scenes, but not for the overall dark tone of the film. In this third and final installment of the prequel trilogy, writer/director George Lucas takes an unexpected turn away from the lightheartedness of episodes one and two.
In the plot, we finally figure out why Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) became Darth Vader, although the transformation is abrupt. He is having nightmarish visions about his secret wife, Padme Amidala (Natalie Portman) dying in childbirth. Determined not to loose her the way he lost his mother, he turns his back on his Jedi master Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) and listens to Supreme Chancellor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid). Palpatine has secretly been behind the Clone Wars, and he is trying to seize control of the government. He wants to kill all the Jedi, and he asks anakin to kill the Jedi in the temple, and when he is done, he is asked to kill the separatists. He says that he will do anything if Palpatine will help him save Padme.
Anakin meets Padme on the volcanic planet of Mustafar, where Padme tries to convince him to turn back to the light side. Yoda has told Obi-Wan that the Sith are too much of a threat to keep alive. Obi-Wan doesn't want to kill Anakin, but he engages him in a lightsaber battle on Mustafar. Meanwhile, Yoda battles Palpitine and tries to escape alive. Obi-Wan defeats Anakin in the battle, and returns to the ship to be with Padme, who is about to give birth to twins. Anakin is rescued by Palpatine and rebuilt into a machine-like man and dubbed Darth Vader. Palpatine reorganizes the republic into the empire, and declares himself emperor. Padme dies after giving birth to Luke and Leia. Bail Organa takes Leia to Alderaan, and Obi-Wan takes Luke to Tatooine to live with his aunt and uncle.
I had to close my eyes when Anakin killed people, and also when he was burned by the lava. This film is rated PG-13, and I, being 13 and 1/2, agree with the rating. I think that anybody, including adults should close their eyes for those scenes. The overall tone was rather depressing, with Padme's brokenhearted love and Anakin's evil deeds. But the ending is hopeful, with the birth of a new generation, who are prominent in Episode IV. I liked that we move away from the radical colors of Episode II and return to a traditional Star Wars look. I complained about the edge-of-reality CGI in Episode I, but this CGI is truly phenomenal. Some of the landscapes afre so realistic, that I asked my dad if they were even CGI at all.
Christensen's and Portman's performances have improved, and McDiarmid and McGregor remain good. Although, as I said in the title, "Revenge of the Sith needs help from the light side," or, as Yoda would say, "Help from the light side Revenge of the Sith needs." May the Force be with you. (And don't turn evil!)
Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the CGI COLORS! a review by JediTeen
I recently watched the remaining Star Wars movies that I hadn't seen: Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones, and Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. I liked Attack of the Clones better than I expected, though! It is the second movie in the three film prequel trilogy of Star Wars, directed by George Lucas.
Attack of the Clones is set ten years after The Phantom Menace. Someone is trying to kill Senator Amidala (Natalie Portman), and two Jedi, Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan Mcgregor), and his apprentice, Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) chase a shapeshifter through the galactic capital of Coruscant to investigate. Before she dies, the shapeshifter says the name of the bounty hunter she is working for: Jango Fett. Obi-Wan goes to investigate a remote star system where Jango Fett is, while Padme (Amidala) is left in anakin's care. Anakin and Padme fall in love, while Obi-Wan figures out that Jango is being cloned. The president of the planet tells Obi-wan that they have been comissoned to make a clone army for the republic.
Meanwhile, Anakin is having nightmares about his mother being tortured, so he and Padme go back to his home, Tatooine, in order to save his mother, only to find that he is too late; his mother has been tortured by the Tuscan raiders, and is dying. After her death, he is enraged and murders the Tuscans. He then tells Padme that he wants to become all powerful and prevent death.
Obi-Wan gets trapped by Count Dooku (Christopher Lee) on the planet of Geonosis, and Anakin and Padme come to rescue him, only to be thrown into an arena with vicious beasts. When they are surrounded by separatist droids, Mace Windu (Samuel L. Jackson), and a troop of Jedi come to rescue them. Anakin and Obi-Wan fight Count Dooku with lightsabers and are rescued by Yoda. Supreme Chancellor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) reveals himself to the audience as Darth Sidious, who is secretly behind the war. Yoda declares that the Clone War has begun, and Anakin and Padme are secretly married with the droids C-3PO and R2-D2 as witnesses.
I thought that this movie had more action than The Phantom Menace which I appreciated. The only major inconsistency in the plot remains the fact that Obi-wan is too young. The soundtrack features a lovely new love theme from John Williams. The lightsaber battles are impressive.
CGI and bright colors were excessively used in this film, as well as a wide variety of worlds from the bustling city of Coruscant to the remote desert of Tatooine.
Christensen's delivery of the dialogue was wooden, while Portman's girlish voice didn't fit with her authoritative attitude. However, I was pleased with the performances of McGregor, Lee, and McDiarmid. I also appreciated that Jar Jar Binks hardly appears, and that instead, C-3PO is the comic relief. The worst scene in the film is a goofy scene with Anakin and Padme in a field, and well, you don't need to know the crazy love story....
I can't even imagine Darth Vader coming from the adolescent Anakin.
Watch this for the story of Obi-Wan Kenobi. The film is rated PG, and I would recommend it for ages 11+.
Thursday, February 4, 2016
The Thing About Jellyfish: A Book That Sucks You In: by JediTeen
I recently read a book called The Thing About Jellyfish by Ali Benjamin. I was feeling sick one day, and I was in my room with my library books. The Thing About Jellyfish sucked me in immediately. I loved the writing style. It is one of those books that is very hard to put down. It is full of gorgeous prose and interesting science, all told from the perspective of a twelve-year-old girl who has lost her best friend.
Suzy Swanson's best friend, Franny Jackson, has drowned. Suzy is trying to recover by proving that there was a reason for her death; that someone was responsible. She has stopped talking, so no one notices her when she slinks off to the jellyfish tank in the aquarium, and learns about the rare species of jellyfish, the Irukandji, which is barely visible and highly dangerous. She begins investigating the species, and she even delivers an oral report to her class to try to communicate what she thinks happened to Franny. They don't seem to understand. But Suzy will go too far....
Franny has stopped being friends with Suzy before she dies. She has become one of those popular girls who thinks Suzy is weird. Suzy knows an amazing amount of science. She knows that there are 50 million jellyfish stings every year, and that jellyfish are multiplying because of the warmer water temperatures. She knows that Franny's heart only beat 412 million times. But no one appreciates her. She is lost in her own world of investigation.
Don't get hung up about the science in this book; read for language. I like how we see flashbacks from Suzy's relationship with Franny; how it grew and changed, and how it ended. I think this is a book worth reading no matter what your age or circumstance. It is one of the best middle-grade novels written in years.
The Phantom Menace: A Movie To Watch Twice With A Snack
By JediTeen
Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace is full of visuals. It is also full of mistakes. It lacks action and comedy. George Lucas made The Phantom Menace in 1999, as the first film in a three film trilogy to tell the backstory to the original Star Wars trilogy. It has many technological and visusal advances, but there are some inconsistent spots that I will discuss later.
In the story, Anakin Skywalker (Jake Lloyd), Luke Skywalker's father, is not the center of attention, because he is only nine years old. Instead, the story focuses on two Jedi knights named Qui-Gon (Liam Neeson), and Obi-Wan (Ewan McGregor). Obi-Wan is Qui-Gon's apprentice. Another central character is Queen Amidala of Naboo, who is trying to solve the trade crisis on her planet. Thew trade federation has formed a blockade around the planet. On Naboo, the two Jedi rescue a Gungan named Jar Jar Binks, and get Amidala past the blockade, but their ship is damaged.
They arrive on the desert planet of Tatooine for repairs, and Amidala sends her handmaiden Padme (PAD-may) [Natalie Portman], and an astromech droid named R2-D2 with Qui-Gon and Jar Jar. They meet Anakin, a slave and an excellent podracer, and his mother. The Qui-Gon gets the ship repaired, and frees Anakin when he wins a bet with Anakin's master, Watoo. Anakin has created his own podracer as well as a protocol droid named C-3PO. Anakin wins the podrace, and goes with Qui-Gon to the republic's capital of Coruscant, where the Jedi master Yoda refuses to train him. Yoda thinks that Anakin will turn to the Dark Side of the Force, but Qui-Gon believes that he is the chosen one who will bring balance to it.
Senator Palpatine becomes the new Supreme Chancellor, and Padme reveals herself as the true Queen to the Gungans, and persuades them to help her fight against the federation's droid army, while Padme and the Jedi search for the federation viceroy. The Jedi are cornered by the Sith apprentice Darth Maul, who kills Qui-Gon before Obi-Wan kills him. Upon his death, Qui-Gon asks Obi-Wan to train Anakin. Meanwhile, Anakin is left in the cockpit of a fighter,where he triggers the autopilot and deactivates the droid army. Obi-Wan is given permission to train Anakin, and Padme gives a gift to the Gungans.
After the long explanation of a complicated plot, I present you with the pros and cons. I enjoyed the visual effects, the diversity of the planets, and Ewan McGregor's performance as Obi-Wan. Qui-Gon is a good character, and I admire Amidala's strength as a leader. The podrace and the lightsaber battles are well done. As always, John Williams delivers a good soundtrack. I like the use of familiar worlds and characters, such as Tatooine, Jabba the Hutt, Tuscan Raiders, the droids, and Obi-Wan and Anakin. I appreciate thew subtle use of females, such as the droid at the beginning, Amidala's handmaidens, and female pilots.
Cons: I think that Anakin should have been older and already shown hits of the Dark Side, and Obi-Wan should have been ten years older than he was. I am also wondering why Qui-Gon didn't disappear when he died. The aspect of balancing the Force doesn't work with the good-overpowers-evil element of Episode 6. Jar Jar Binks made me laugh three times, but that's all that he should have been used. Some scenes lack action, and with Qui-Gon and Darth Maul both dead, they seem to be rather unnecessary characters, especially because Yoda should have trained Obi-Wan directly.
One last thought is that the first time I saw The Phantom Menace I was bored, and I had hardly any emotional reaction to it. This time, however, I understood the plot, and I liked it much better! So unless you hate this movie, it may be necessary to watch it twice within a few months, (and make sure you have a snack) then wait 30 years to show your kids.
Saturday, January 9, 2016
Star Wars Re-awakens: by Jedi Teen
WARNING: SOME PLOT SPOILERS IN REVIEW
Yesterday, I watched Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens
for the second time in the theater. I found that I liked it even more the
second time through than I initially did, and in my opinion, it is definitely
the best Star Wars film since 1983.
Writer/director J. J. Abrams took on the project after Star Wars was bought by Walt Disney studios. Many of the actors
from episodes IV, V, and VI, returned to be in the movie, and composer John
Williams returned to write the score.
This movie centers on a new
generation of characters. Rey (Daisy Ridley), a scavenger from the planet Jakku
who is waiting for her family, Finn (John Boyega), an ex-stormtrooper, Poe
(Oscar Isaac), a resistance pilot, and Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), a Jedi
apprentice turned evil, all have their own motives in The Force Awakens. Finn helps Poe escape the First Order, the evil
government that has originated from the remnants of The Galactic Empire, and
when their ship crashes on Jakku, Finn meets Rey, and they steal the Millennium
Falcon, and encounter Han Solo (Harrison Ford), and Chewbacca. A small droid,
BB8, has a map that leads to Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), who has mysteriously
disappeared. The team must fight the First Order numerous times in order to
destroy their massive weapon, and keep BB8 safe. When the audience learns that
Kylo Ren is Han Solo’s son, they will be alarmed. In the end, R2-D2 has the
missing piece of the map, and Rey goes to find Luke. The movie leaves many
hints that Rey is Luke’s daughter, because she is so strong with the Force.
Leia (Carrie Fisher) has become the general in charge of the Resistance.
I will say that this movie far
exceeded my expectations. Although there is nonstop action in the film, Abrams
succeeds in developing characters. Although Kylo Ren turns out evil, I am left
with a desire for him to redeem himself in a future movie. At the end, I am
left wondering what will happen to Rey and Luke. And I found myself truly
worried about Finn’s survival. I even enjoyed BB8.
The score was wonderful, as usual. I
liked how Rey got a new theme, and how the music around the First Order sounded
similar to the Imperial March from episode V. I liked how the CGI was minimal,
the sets were real, and the transitions were old school, just like those of
episodes IV, V, and VI. Episode I lost this feel, and Episode VII brought it
back.
I also liked the small throwbacks to
the original trilogy, such as “I have a bad feeling about this,” and “Do you
have a trash compactor?” I love how Rey uses a Jedi mind trick on a Stormtrooper,
and especially how she uses a lightsaber. I love seeing a strong female
character in Star Wars. I love Finn’s
humor element, and Poe’s heroism and his appreciation for Finn.
This film is rated PG-13 for action
and shooting. Depending on your child’s maturity level, I would say that some
10-12 year-olds will be ready for this, but I would recommend it for ages 10+.
You will see this movie.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)