My Movie Reviews: The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2 (2012)

From left to right: Bella Cullen (Kristen Stewart), Renesmee (Mackenzie Foy), Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson), and Jacob Black (Taylor Lautner) in The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2 (2012)

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2 (2012) is a thriller starring Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, and Taylor Lautner and covers the second half of the novel Breaking Dawn by Stephanie Meyer. Part 2 covers Bella as a new born vampire and the quick growth of her and Edwards child, Reneesme.

The script was written by Melissa Rosenberg while the film was produced by the series author Stephanie Meyer. The film was directed by Bill Condon and it was released November 16th, 2012.

THE CAST

Kristen Stewart as Bella Cullen
Robert Pattinson as Edward Cullen
Taylor Lautner as Jacob Black
Mackenzie Foy as Renesmee Cullen
Ashley Greene as Alice Cullen
Maggie Grace as Irina
Jamie Campbell Bower as Caius
Michael Sheen as Aro
Nikki Reed as Rosalie Hale
Kellan Lutz as Emmett Cullen
Dakota Fanning as Jane
Jackson Rathbone as Jasper Hale
Christopher Heyerdahl as Marcus
Peter Facinelli as Carlisle Cullen
Billy Burke as Charlie Swan
Lee Pace as Garrett
Christian Serratos as Angela Weber
Elizabeth Reaser as Esme Cullen
MyAnna Buring as Tanya
Noel Fisher as Vladimir
Joe Anderson as Alistair
Cameron Bright as Alec
Angela Sarafyan as Tia
Aldo Quintino as Amazon Vampire
Rami Malek as Benjamin
Booboo Stewart as Seth Clearwater
Daniel Cudmore as Felix
Christian Camargo as Eleazar
Mía Maestro as Carmen
Ty Olsson as Phil
Alex Meraz as Paul
Judith Shekoni as Zafrina
Charlie Bewley as Demetri
JD Pardo as Nahuel
Julia Jones as Leah Clearwater
Lateef Crowder as Santiago
Andrea Powell as Sasha
Toni Trucks as Mary
Casey LaBow as Kate
Andrea Gabriel as Kebi
Austin Naulty as Werewolf
Kiowa Gordon as Embry Call
Chaske Spencer as Sam Uley
Bronson Pelletier as Jared
Marisa Quinn as Huilen
Omar Metwally as Amun
Valorie Curry as Charlotte
Tracey Heggins as Senna
Marlane Barnes as Maggie
Guri Weinberg as Stefan
Erik Odom as Peter
Lisa Howard as Siobhan
Bill Tangradi as Randall
Patrick Brennan as Liam
Amadou Ly as Henri
Janelle Froehlich as Yvette
Masami Kosaka as Toshiro

SYNOPSIS

After being transformed by Edward after a near-death childbirth, Bella begins her new life as a vampire and mother to their daughter, Renesmee, who is growing at an accelerated rate. But when Irina, a member of the Denali coven, mistakenly reports Renesmee as an immortal child to the Volturi, they set out to battle and destroy the Cullens for breaking the vampire law. To prove Renesmee is not an immortal child, the Cullens gather foreign vampire clans, including the Denali, the Amazonian, the Egyptian, the Irish, and Romanian covens, and also European and American nomads, to stand as their witnesses to the Volturi. Aro, however,  has ulterior motives for battling the Cullens. With their allies and the Quileute wolf pack, the Cullens defend themselves against the Volturi in this epic finale to The Twilight Saga.


TRAILER

MY THOUGHTS

Wow. I was not expecting to be so impressed with the final film. I have to say I was very shocked when I found out that they had altered the ending to Part 2. The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2 was an amazing conclusion to the Twilight Saga film series. I must say, I definitely under estimated how they were going to execute the final film. But let's face it, Part 1 wasn't all that and a bag a chips. Of course, before I went to the premiere of the final installment, I watched The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1 and realized it wasn't as good as I thought it was the first time (which is why I gave that film a 3 out of 5). But I was hoping that with the alternate ending to Part 2, Summit Entertainment was heading in the right direction. And I must saying, I was right. But I swear, when it came down to the battle, I thought I was going to die. SPOILERS: When it first started Carlisle and Aro dash towards each other and Aro rips his head off. The Cullens' and their witnesses dash toward the Volturi and a battle ensues. Bella is using her shielding ability on Jasper as Jane tries to cause him pain. Alec sees this and knocks her over, which allows Jane to make Jasper feel pain. Shortly after, his head is pulled off by one of the Volturi. Then the same happens to Seth, and he is grabbed by one of the Volturi and his bones are crushed. Alec is then knocked off of Bella by Emmett who rips Alec's head off and crushes his body. Leah howls, alerting Jacob who is in wolf form carrying Renesmee off as they try to escape. Jacob slows down and his eyes tear up, but Renesmee calls out to him as one of the Volturi is catching up to them. Jacob then catches the Volturi member in his mouth ripping his head off as he and Renesmee escape successfully. Back to the battle things seem to be against the Cullens until Benjamin hits the earth causing an earth quake as Volturi members fall to their doom. Esme is being pulled down by a Volturi member until she is saved by Leah, who knocks the member off of her and falls to her death. Edward is also knocked into the earth but he leaps out, ripping off one of the Volturi members head. Alice then charges toward Jane who is trying to inflict pain on her but can't because Bella is shielding her. Alice grabs Jane and Sam bits her head off. Caius then joins the fight but is quickly killed by Kate, Garrett, and Tanya. Marcus is heard saying "finally" as Vladimir and Alistair charge toward him, ripping him to pieces. Aro finally stomps his way into the battle and he is faced by Bella and Edward who charge at him but are knocked back when Aro throws Bella at Edward. As Bella and Edward sit up the grab each others hands seeing Aro charge towards them. After a couple of kicks and knock downs, Bella and Edward snatch Aro's head off and it lands on the cold ice as flames engulf the screen. This is interrupted when the film goes back to before the battle starts and Alice releases Aro's hand saying, "That's your future, unless you change your decision." Epic. SPOILERS END. The film then goes back along the lines as it went in the book and the film concludes. I must say the end was by far the best part of the film. If you didn't know there was going to be a twist and you were expecting it to stay along the lines of the book, you were in for a big surprise. Over all, they really stepped up there game in the final installment of the Twilight Saga and it's definitely a treat for the Twihards.

That being said, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2 gets: ★★★★★ 5 out of 5 stars. Guys, you deserve it! Excellent job and thanks for bringing one of my favorite books to life.

"Such a prize!"

My Movie Reviews: Snow White and the Huntsman

Kristen Stewart as Snow White in Snow White and the Huntsman (2012)

Snow White and the Huntsman is a remake of the classic German fairy tale Snow White by Brothers Grimm. The film was directed by Rupert Sanders and written by Evan Daugherty, John Lee Hancock, and Hossein Amini. It was released June 1, 2012.

THE CAST

Kristen Stewart as Snow White

Charlize Theron as Queen Ravenna

Chris Hemsworth as Eric

Sam Claflin as William

Lily Cole as Greta

Sam Spruell as Finn

Vincent Regan as Duke Hammond.

Noah Huntley as King Magnus

Liberty Ross as Queen Eleanor

Christopher Obi Ogugua as the voice of the Magic Mirror

MY THOUGHTS

OMG. This is hands down, the best Snow White installment I've seen so far. I was a fan of the 2001 Hallmark remake Snow White: The Fairest of Them All starring Kristin Kreuk and Miranda Richardson. Snow White has been one of my favorite fairy tales and I was excited to see this new spin on the story. I was a little skeptical when I found out that the role of Snow White was going to be played by Kristen Stewart (best known for her role as Bella Swan/Cullen in the Twilight Saga), only because she can sometimes seem a bit awkward. But I heart Charlize Theron and I am a fan of Kristen Stewart, so I decided that I would go and see the film when it came out. And I'm glad I did. Snow White and the Huntsman gives a different twist on the story, showing a more aggressive and head strong version of Snow White (which I liked). Kristen was excellent in the role as Snow White and I was so impressed with how she tackled the it (and her accent was pretty good too). And of course, Charlize Theron never disappoints me, I was also kind of cheering for her to win even though I knew in the end she wouldn't. SPOILERS: the only thing that I was a little upset about was the ending. Throughout the film you go wondering who Snow White will marry, the Prince or the Huntsman. When prince William kisses Snow after she eats the poison apple and she doesn't awake, its almost obvious that Eric is going to kiss her later and wake her, which he does. But after the evil queen is killed in the end, they crown Snow White as the new queen of the kingdom without allowing us the clarity on whether she will marry prince William or the Huntsman Eric. I mean... REALLY?!?!?! I think its imminent though that she will get with the huntsman though, but still... I would have liked to know. SPOILERS END. But over all, this was the best Snow White remake since the 2001 remake to me. And I commend Kristen Stewart for trying something new that she actually excelled in (And yes, I'm excluding The Runaways... um... yeah).

That said, Snow White and the Huntsman gets an outstanding: ★★★★★ 5 out of 5 Stars

"Mirror, mirror... on the wall... who is the fairest of them all?"

My Movie Reviews: Dark Shadows

Johnny Depp as Barnabas Collins and Michelle Pfeiffer as Elizabeth Collins Stoddard in Dark Shadows (2012)

Dark Shadows (2012) is a horror comedy that is a remake of the Gothic horror soap opera Dark Shadows by Dan Curtis the aired from 1966-1971. The screenplay was written by Seth Grahame-Smith while the film was directed by Tim Burton and was produced by Richard D. Zanuck, Graham King, Johnny Depp, Christi Dembrowski, and David Kennedy. The film was released May 11th, 2012.

THE CAST

Johnny Depp as Barnabas Collins

Michelle Pfeiffer as Elizabeth Collins Stoddard

Eva Green as Angelique Bouchard
Helena Bonham Carter as Dr. Julia Hoffman

Jackie Earle Haley as Willie Loomis

Jonny Lee Miller as Roger Collins

Bella Heathcote as Victoria Winters and Josette du Pres

Chloë Grace Moretz as Carolyn Stoddard

Gulliver McGrath as David Collins

MY THOUGHTS

I know that I am only twenty years old, but in a world were the Internet exists, it is highly possible that one so young could be exposed to the awesomeness of Dark Shadows. I watched several episodes of Dark Shadows online and I fell in love with it. I'm not a big fan of soap operas, but Dark Shadows was different. In 2010, it was my first time hearing that there would be a remake of Dark Shadows. I was very exited. Since the 2004 revival series created for the CW (for the WB at the time) fell through, I was hoping that this remake would actually make it to the big screen. My expectations for the film were high, due to the cast used for the characters. But to be quiet honest, I think my expectations were too high. The film was good, but it wasn't great. I was impressed with the way the cast portrayed the characters and brought them to life in the modern times. One back side was that the film is considered a "horror-comedy." This I wasn't aware of prior to watching the movie. It had it's moments that were dark and serious (which Tim Burton is good at), but the comical scenes take away the darkness that is and was Dark Shadows. It doesn't completely put a damper on the entire film, but it slightly tainted it. To top that off, some characters were combined (which causes confusion at first), and then they threw in a random werewolf (nope... not Quentin). SPOILERS: The movie does end with an interesting cliff hanger, showing Dr. Julia Hoffman in the lake that Barnabas threw her in opening her eyes before the credits roll (indicating a possible sequel). SPOILERS END. The film lacks a lot of what the series held, but then again, remakes of TV shows, books, or movies like Dark Shadows cannot always be made as well as we would like them to be. Despite its downfalls, Dark Shadows (2012) delivers just enough to have you a little scared and make you laugh, all while staying family oriented. This film will probably be great to those new to the series, but to most fans of the original, it will probably be considered a disappointment.

That being said, I give Dark Shadows (2012): ★★★★★ 3 out of 5 Stars

Nice try... but try again.

"If I can't have you... No one can!!"

Do You Miss Me?

Hey Bloggers!

Do you guys miss me? Well I apologize for being very tardy lately, but with the potential release of 12 (A Novel) - Part I creeping up on me, I've been buckling down on getting it finished. But trust and believe that once I'm done with it, I will be back in full force doing movie reviews and telling you about my other ideas and new ideas that I've come up with since I've been off. So don't fret, I'll be back soon.

MindOfACreator91

My Movie Reviews: The Hunger Games (2012)

Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) and Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson) from The Hunger Games

The Hunger Games is a 2012 American dystopian science fiction action-drama filmdirected by Gary Ross and based on the novel of the same name by Suzanne Collins.

The film was directed by Gary Ross and the screenplay was written by Gary Ross, Billy Ray, and the novel's author Suzanne Collins. The Hunger Games was released March 21, 2012 in Europe and March 23, 2012 in the US.

THE CAST

Jennifer Lawrence as Katniss Everdeen

Josh Hutcherson as Peeta Mellark

Woody Harrelson as Haymitch Abernathy

Elizabeth Banks as Effie Trinket

Liam Hemsworth as Gale Hawthorne
Lenny Kravitz as Cinna

Stanley Tucci as Caesar Flickerman

Donald Sutherland as President Coriolanus Snow

Wes Bentley as Seneca Crane

Toby Jones as Claudius Templesmith

SYNOPSIS

The nation of Panem has risen out of the ruins of what was once known as North America. After an unsuccessful uprising by the thirteen districts of Panem, a reaping is held to pick one boy and girl from each of the twelve remaining districts to participate in a televised event known as the Hunger Games. This event is a competition where each "tribute" battles to the death until only one is left, resulting in the winner receiving fame and fortune. Katniss Everdeen volunteers herself in place of her younger sister Prim who was originally chosen to battle in the Hunger Games. Peeta Mellark, a baker's son, is the chosen young man to attend the Hunger Games. The two form a bond as their memories of each other come to their remembrance, forming a team in hopes that they will together show that they are not owned.

MY THOUGHTS

Oh my God... this has got to be the best movie I've seen so far this year. I am so glad that I went to see this because it kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. I became interested in The Hunger Games when the film was announced for an early 2012 release. And since other series of interest have ended or are coming to an end (i.e. Harry Potter and the Twilight Saga), I figured I might as well give this series a shot. By the time I had purchased the first novel I was nowhere near finishing it when I watched the film. I loved the book when I had started reading it and the suspense was amazingly real. I went to watch the film and was blown away by the amazing cast and the way the film was put together. Of course, like all films that become movies, there were some slight changes in the film from the novel, but it wasn't damaging to the film whatsoever. I was amazed by the performance of Jennifer Lawrence and Josh Hutcherson as Katniss and Peeta. And their cemestry was incredibly believable. I feel no need to spoil a great movie, so I'm going to end this review by telling you all if you wanna see something epic, The Hunger Games delievers.

That being said, I give The Hunger Games: ★★★★★ 5 out of 5 stars

"May the odds be ever in your favor!"