Showing posts with label Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Show all posts
Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief Review
Posted by Should I See It
on
Monday, February 22, 2010
, under
Chris Columbus,
film review,
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,
Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief
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comments (1)
Film: Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief
Director: Chris Columbus
Plot: A teenager discovers he's the descendant of a Greek god and sets out on an adventure to settle an on-going battle between the gods
Starring: Logan Lerman, Brandon T Jackson, Alexandra Daddario, Pierce Brosnan, Sean Bean, Uma Thurman.
If JK Rowling and CS Lewis ever had a love child, I imagine it would have turned out something like Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief.
You really can’t help but compare it to either of them, especially Harry Potter: there are too many similarities in the plots and the conundrums that the heroes face.
Also the cinematic realisation of the two are incredibly similar, probably because the director of Percy Jackson, Chris Columbus, also directed Harry Potter 1 and 2.
Actually I would say that Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief is a better FILM that Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone*, because it is better acted, better paces and (a little) more imaginatively shot. It’s almost as if Percy Jackson is what Chris Columbus intended to do with Potter 1&2 but didn’t quite get there.
I know I’m not exactly the target audience for Percy Jackson, but I enjoyed it. It’s not fantastic or ground breaking cinema, but it is very good for what it is: an enjoyable, special effects laden two hours (and that is not intended to be demeaning in any way).
Of course there are few problems with the film that come along with this genre and adapting from a novel.
The opening scenes feel a bit rushed; almost as if there was a lot stuff from the book that they didn’t put in (I haven’t read the book, so I don’t know if that was the case, but that’s what it felt like). Once it got past the awkward opening, Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief is a well paced film.
The plot is a little but silly: Someone has stolen Zeus’ lightning bolt and he thinks Percy Jackson, son of Poseidon, has taken it. You can pick who the lightning thief is very early on (hint, it’s not Percy Jackson). Your kids might not pick it though. I guess this brings us to the crux of the matter. Percy Jackson is a kid’s film, but it is by no means painful for the parents to sit through.
The quest of this story is somewhat confused. While the film is called Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief, the hero’s (self imposed) quest is not to find the lightning thief, but to find Percy’s mother, who has been kidnapped by Hades and taken to the underworld, in exchange for the stolen lightning. Percy thinks that once Hades realises he doesn’t have the lightning, Hades will let his mother go. In fact it never actually occurs to Percy and Co. to find out who the lightning thief is to put a stop to the war of the gods. It is a bit of a lightning bolt moment for Percy (pardon the pun) when her realises that all he has to do is return the lightning bolt to Zeus. Meanwhile the audience is thinking: ‘Duh! That’s what I thought this movie was about!’
Logan Lerman (Percy Jackson) is an appealing hero. He is a better actor than Daniel Radcliffe, and looks and sounds an awful lot like Zac Efron. I can’t really say anything beyond that about the performances (except Catherine Keener was awful; she made no effort to look interested in any of the scenes she was in) because it’s really not that type of movie. The movie is really about an adventure, as long as the plot keeps moving and the special effects keep coming, every one’s happy.
When exiting the cinema, I was walking behind a mother and her three sons aged between six and twelve, all of whom loved the film. I couldn’t help but over hear the eldest of the boys said “That was reeeeeeally good! I can’t wait to read the book now!!!!” In my opinion, if it gets kids to read, Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief must be doing something right.
Should I See It?
Yes, it’s enjoyable,just be prepared to switch your brain off and just go along for the ride.
*I am in no way suggesting that either of these movies are great examples of cinema, nor am I suggesting that the Percy Jackson books are better than the Harry Potter books. I am only saying that comparatively, Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief is a better FILM that Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, irrespective of their source material.
A Very Potter Musical Review
Posted by Should I See It
on
Monday, September 21, 2009
, under
A Very Potter Musical review,
AJ Holmes,
Bonnie Gruesen,
Darren Criss,
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,
Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince,
Joey Richter,
Matt Lang,
Nick Lang Brian Holden
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comments (9)
Show: A Very Potter Musical
Presented by: TeamStarKid
Directed by: Matt Lang
Starring: Darren Criss, Joey Richter, Bonnie Gruesen, Jaime-Lynn Beatty, Lauren Lopez, Joe Walker.
Plot: Combining the best bits of JK Rowling's books, Harry Potter sets off to Hogwarts for a music filled adventure!
Harry Potter loves Ginny Weasley, his Firebolt and…… Zac Efron?
Yes, you read correctly, ZAC EFRON.
Well that’s according to A Very Potter Musical, a deliciously warm musical parody of the world’s favourite boy wizard that’s setting YouTube ablaze.
The musical, written, directed and starring students and recent graduates of the University of Michigan combines the best parts of the seven novels by JK Rowling to create nearly three hours of music filled magical mayhem.
The songs by AJ Holmes and Darren Criss are incredibly catchy. The opening number, 'Goin’ Back to Hogwarts', filled with witty lines like "No way this year anyone’s gonna die", is a light rock style tune imbedded deep within musical theatre tradition, reminiscent of 'Good Morning Baltimore' from Hairspray or 'Twenty Million People' from My Favourite Year. The big Act 2 ballad 'Not Alone', while played for laughs, accurately reflects themes of love and friendship from the books. And all that is missing from the 11 o'clock number 'Voldemort is Going Down' is a big flag to make it a true parody of Les Miserables.
Yes, you read correctly, ZAC EFRON.
Well that’s according to A Very Potter Musical, a deliciously warm musical parody of the world’s favourite boy wizard that’s setting YouTube ablaze.
The musical, written, directed and starring students and recent graduates of the University of Michigan combines the best parts of the seven novels by JK Rowling to create nearly three hours of music filled magical mayhem.
The songs by AJ Holmes and Darren Criss are incredibly catchy. The opening number, 'Goin’ Back to Hogwarts', filled with witty lines like "No way this year anyone’s gonna die", is a light rock style tune imbedded deep within musical theatre tradition, reminiscent of 'Good Morning Baltimore' from Hairspray or 'Twenty Million People' from My Favourite Year. The big Act 2 ballad 'Not Alone', while played for laughs, accurately reflects themes of love and friendship from the books. And all that is missing from the 11 o'clock number 'Voldemort is Going Down' is a big flag to make it a true parody of Les Miserables.
Lauren Lopez as Draco Malfoy
The script by Matt Lang, Nick Lang and Brian Holden is remarkably clever and also incredibly skillful. They have expertly slimmed down the seven novels into one cohesive and, most importantly, entertaining story! They also delivered some great lines: "Oh My God, Hermione! Shut Up!" being one of my particular favourites! There are so many great lines that if I tried to list them all I would end up writing out half the show!
The direction (something that has been overlooked in the praise of the show) is also very good. Matt Lang navigates the material with confidence. There is a scrappiness to this production that makes it endearing. While taking on the beloved series would seem like a challenge to some, this production is happy not to take itself too seriously.
However, what really brings this show to life is the incredibly talented cast. They are all clearly excited and passionate about their show. They all ‘get’ the humour and know exactly what kind of show they are putting on.
The direction (something that has been overlooked in the praise of the show) is also very good. Matt Lang navigates the material with confidence. There is a scrappiness to this production that makes it endearing. While taking on the beloved series would seem like a challenge to some, this production is happy not to take itself too seriously.
However, what really brings this show to life is the incredibly talented cast. They are all clearly excited and passionate about their show. They all ‘get’ the humour and know exactly what kind of show they are putting on.
Joey Richter (Ron), Darren Criss (Harry) and Bonnie Gruesen (Hermione).
Darren Criss, Joey Richter and Bonnie Gruesen as Harry, Ron and Hermione have a chemistry and a believability that is surprisingly missing from their cinematic counterparts. Ironically, I never noticed how weak the chemistry was between Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson until I saw Criss, Ritcher and Gruesen’s performances. Criss is particularly appealing as Harry. They also fit the roles better physically: Harry actually has messy black hair, Ron is actually tall, and Hermione has bushy hair.
There seems to be a lot of fan love for Lauren Lopez (Draco Malfoy) and Joseph Walker (a very buff Lord Voldermort), and deservedly so (they are both hilarious), but my personal favourites are Tyler Brunsman as Cedric Diggory (sincere apologies to the Robert Pattinson fan girls, but this guy is loads better) and Lily Marks as a scene stealing Molly Weasley.
Though, I feel it is unfair to single out any of the performers. There is not a weak link in the bunch. It truly is an ensemble production. Everyone seems to be having a great time and their energy spills over onto the audience.
Joe Walker as Lord Voldemort
As goofy and screwball as the musical is, there are moments of seriousness that show just how talented the cast is. Several times during the show I closed my eyes and hoped that the upcoming Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows film would deal with certain plot points half as well as A Very Potter Musical did (the aftermath of Ron’s encounter with the Horcrux being one of them). Actually, the people a Warner Brothers could learn a thing or two from the StarKid team about how to condense a book and still have a cohesive story. The also could learn how to intergrate Ginny Weasley into the plot without having a totally whatthe? moment! (For more details, please see my rant on Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince).
I can't help but compare A Very Potter Musical to the Lynn Ahrens/ Stephen Flaherty musical Lucky Stiff. They both share the same kind of wacky humour, with characters being thrust into increasingly ridiculous situations that make perfect sense in the world of the show, they both have witty lyrics that you can listen to over and over again and, most importantly, tunes that are memorable.
I know that a Broadway (or Off-Broadway) transfer is impossible, but if my fantasy world were to become a reality and it dd transfer to Broadway: what musical number would they sing at the Tony Awards???
I can't help but compare A Very Potter Musical to the Lynn Ahrens/ Stephen Flaherty musical Lucky Stiff. They both share the same kind of wacky humour, with characters being thrust into increasingly ridiculous situations that make perfect sense in the world of the show, they both have witty lyrics that you can listen to over and over again and, most importantly, tunes that are memorable.
I know that a Broadway (or Off-Broadway) transfer is impossible, but if my fantasy world were to become a reality and it dd transfer to Broadway: what musical number would they sing at the Tony Awards???
I can’t wait to see these guys in a Broadway show (obviously no AVPM). Or somebody give these kids a guest spot on GLEE, at the very least!
Should I See It?
Yes, especially if you are a fan of Harry Potter or musicals! Or both!
The cast of A Very Potter Musical.
Just be warned: make sure you have plenty of time to kill. The show is nearly three hours long. Remember to factor in time for YouTube to load.
View A Very Potter Musical here.
Download the soundtrack from here. Since you don’t have to pay for the soundtrack, remember to donate to StarKid so they can keep producing totally awesome stuff!)
