Recent Reports

books in roman type, films in italic

395. Juno directed by Jason Reitman (reviewed on 9 May 2008)
score: 8 of 10 [8/10]
"Juno does a good job at portraying a particular girl's experience with teen pregnancy, although I don't think you can extend this portrait much beyond Juno's character since she has more self-confidence and personal determination than most adults."

394. The Candy Shop War by Brandon Mull (24 April 2008)
score: 6 of 10 [6/10]
"Mull has created a fun, compelling story that in spite of some characterization problems provides an adventure that both kids and adults can enjoy."

393. 21 directed by Robert Luketic (13 April 2008)
score: 5 of 10 [5/10]
"The camera and the film editor do more work than the actors. We see hundreds of close up shots of casino chips, winning blackjack hands, and brief shots of the actors' faces smiling in flushed glee. The film relies on the rush of emotions viewers will feel in response to the large sums of money and not the acting."

392. Fablehaven: Rise of the Evening Star by Brandon Mull (3 April 2008)
score: 8 of 10 [8/10]
"Kendra and Seth expect to spend their next summer vacation helping out at Fablehaven, a mystical preserve for magical creatures tended by the kids' grandparents. But problems for Kendra and Seth start even before their summer vacation begins."

391. 1408 directed by Mikael Håfström (2 April 2008)
score: 8 of 10 [8/10]
"You can easily overlook the few minor problems and enjoy the creative torments the room inflicts on Cusack's character and loose count of the number of times the film makes you jump in your chair."

390. There Will Be Blood directed by Paul Thomas Anderson (1 April 2008)
score: 7 of 10 [7/10]
"I think Upton Sinclair would approve of this adaptation of his novel. We watch the self-destruction of the main characters as they focus on their greed and lust for power, and we see these empty lives -- like black holes -- draw the goodness and life unwillingly out of the people who happen to cross their path."

389. Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day directed by Bharat Nalluri (31 March 2008)
score: 7 of 10 [7/10]
"Really you can't say much more than Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day presents charming characters in a well crafted love polygon. The humor comes easily, the plot never gets too heavy, and you get a double warm-fuzzy feeling as the two leads find true love emerging out of the chaos that swirls around them."

388. V for Vendetta directed by James McTeigue (27 March 2008)
score: 8 of 10 [8/10]
"The twisting and engaging story line more than makes up for the 'comic book' characters, and director JamesMcTeigue displays an excellent balance of mystery, suspense, and violence."

387. Prince Ombra by Roderick MacLeish (24 March 2008)
score: 5 of 10 [5/10]
"I think kids and even younger teens will enjoy Prince Ombra, but any examination of the story beyond the surface leaves the reader to deal with a set of unsatisfactory philosophical conclusions necessary for the plot to function."

386. Beowulf (20 March 2008)
score: 4 of 10 [4/10]
"The low quality animation made me feel like I was watching a cut scene from a video game. For the entire film, I kept getting the feeling that at any moment the cut scene would end, and I would have to take up the game controller to battle the monsters."

385. The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman (20 March 2008)
score: 5 of 10 [5/10]
"In this final volume of the triolgy, Pullman seems to have lost some control over his story. When you get to the end of The Amber Spyglass, you can sort of see where he was trying to take you, but he certainly didn't take a direct route. The story also becomes less about the characters we have followed for three books and more about the metaphysical events surrounding them."

384. The Zodiac directed by Alexander Bulkley (11 March 2008)
score: 5 of 10 [5/10]
"The Zodiac tries to capture the zeitgeist of the San Francisco Bay area while the Zodiac serial killer actively killed victims and corresponded with the local press."

383. American Gangster directed by Ridley Scott (11 March 2008)
score: 6 of 10 [6/10]
"From the trailers, I expected to see scene after scene of gore and violence, but I was pleasantly surprised at the intellectual comparison of these 'real life' characters from our recent past."

382. The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman (11 March 2008)
[6/10]
"For the middle book in a trilogy, Pullman manages to keep the plot and pacing in The Subtle Knife quite engaging, and he ends the book just about as suddenly and tragically as in The Golden Compass."

381. Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice (6 March 2008)
score: 6 of 10 [6/10]
"While Interview with the Vampire has expertly crafted depictions of scene and emotion, this volume doesn't have some of the polish and flare you find in some of the later volumes in the series."

380. The Spiderwick Chronicles directed by Mark Waters (26 February 2008)
score: 8 of 10 [8/10]
"Ignoring the very clear warning about death and destruction to those who open the book, Jared breaks the seal and begins to read about a world of magical creatures. By breaking the seal, Jared breaks the barrier between the fairy and human worlds and exposes his family to a pantheon of aggressive creatures."

379. Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium directed by Zach Helm (22 November 2007)
score: 5 of 10 [5/10]
"The film tries to do to much in the short running time. Just resolving any one of the four major plot problems could have occupied the entire space of the film, and the resolutions we do get leave too many unanswered questions."

378. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J. K. Rowling (5 November 2007)
score: 7 of 10 [7/10]
"Rowling has created an interesting universe and a story that surely will never go out of print. I certainly will probably read the entire series several more times in my lifetime, in spite of the numerous problems that a more careful writer would have addressed."

377. A Density of Souls by Christopher Rice (2 November 2007)
score: 5 of 10 [5/10]
"Even though I had some problems with the construction of A Density of Souls, I found the plot reasonably well formed for a first novel. The story keeps you reading because you find the characters interesting although ultimately underdeveloped."

376. The Seeker: The Dark Is Rising directed by David L. Cunningham (16 October 2007)
score: 6 of 10 [6/10]
"The Seeker has it fun and scary moments, but the threat of evil -- in spite of its well demonstrated power -- feels hollow, and the teenage protagonist too easily defeats in five days a force that has had thousands of years to prepare."

Full Chronological List (long!)

	395. Juno directed by Jason Reitman (reviewed on 9 May 2008) [8/10] "Juno does a good job at portraying a particular girl's experience with teen pregnancy, although I don't think you can extend this portrait much beyond Juno's character since she has more self-confidence and personal determination than most adults."
	394. The Candy Shop War by Brandon Mull (24 April 2008) [6/10] "Mull has created a fun, compelling story that in spite of some characterization problems provides an adventure that both kids and adults can enjoy."
	393. 21 directed by Robert Luketic (13 April 2008) [5/10] "The camera and the film editor do more work than the actors. We see hundreds of close up shots of casino chips, winning blackjack hands, and brief shots of the actors' faces smiling in flushed glee. The film relies on the rush of emotions viewers will feel in response to the large sums of money and not the acting."
	392. Fablehaven: Rise of the Evening Star by Brandon Mull (3 April 2008) [8/10] "Kendra and Seth expect to spend their next summer vacation helping out at Fablehaven, a mystical preserve for magical creatures tended by the kids' grandparents. But problems for Kendra and Seth start even before their summer vacation begins."
	391. 1408 directed by Mikael Håfström (2 April 2008) [8/10] "You can easily overlook the few minor problems and enjoy the creative torments the room inflicts on Cusack's character and loose count of the number of times the film makes you jump in your chair."
	390. There Will Be Blood directed by Paul Thomas Anderson (1 April 2008) [7/10] "I think Upton Sinclair would approve of this adaptation of his novel. We watch the self-destruction of the main characters as they focus on their greed and lust for power, and we see these empty lives -- like black holes -- draw the goodness and life unwillingly out of the people who happen to cross their path."
	389. Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day directed by Bharat Nalluri (31 March 2008) [7/10] "Really you can't say much more than Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day presents charming characters in a well crafted love polygon. The humor comes easily, the plot never gets too heavy, and you get a double warm-fuzzy feeling as the two leads find true love emerging out of the chaos that swirls around them."
	388. V for Vendetta directed by James McTeigue (27 March 2008) [8/10] "The twisting and engaging story line more than makes up for the 'comic book' characters, and director JamesMcTeigue displays an excellent balance of mystery, suspense, and violence."
	387. Prince Ombra by Roderick MacLeish (24 March 2008) [5/10] "I think kids and even younger teens will enjoy Prince Ombra, but any examination of the story beyond the surface leaves the reader to deal with a set of unsatisfactory philosophical conclusions necessary for the plot to function."
	386. Beowulf (20 March 2008) [4/10] "The low quality animation made me feel like I was watching a cut scene from a video game. For the entire film, I kept getting the feeling that at any moment the cut scene would end, and I would have to take up the game controller to battle the monsters."
	385. The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman (20 March 2008) [5/10] "In this final volume of the triolgy, Pullman seems to have lost some control over his story. When you get to the end of The Amber Spyglass, you can sort of see where he was trying to take you, but he certainly didn't take a direct route. The story also becomes less about the characters we have followed for three books and more about the metaphysical events surrounding them."
	384. The Zodiac directed by Alexander Bulkley (11 March 2008) [5/10] "The Zodiac tries to capture the zeitgeist of the San Francisco Bay area while the Zodiac serial killer actively killed victims and corresponded with the local press."
	383. American Gangster directed by Ridley Scott (11 March 2008) [6/10] "From the trailers, I expected to see scene after scene of gore and violence, but I was pleasantly surprised at the intellectual comparison of these 'real life' characters from our recent past."
	382. The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman (11 March 2008) [6/10] "For the middle book in a trilogy, Pullman manages to keep the plot and pacing in The Subtle Knife quite engaging, and he ends the book just about as suddenly and tragically as in The Golden Compass."
	381. Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice (6 March 2008) [6/10] "While Interview with the Vampire has expertly crafted depictions of scene and emotion, this volume doesn't have some of the polish and flare you find in some of the later volumes in the series."
	380. The Spiderwick Chronicles directed by Mark Waters (26 February 2008) [8/10] "Ignoring the very clear warning about death and destruction to those who open the book, Jared breaks the seal and begins to read about a world of magical creatures. By breaking the seal, Jared breaks the barrier between the fairy and human worlds and exposes his family to a pantheon of aggressive creatures."
	379. Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium directed by Zach Helm (22 November 2007) [5/10] "The film tries to do to much in the short running time. Just resolving any one of the four major plot problems could have occupied the entire space of the film, and the resolutions we do get leave too many unanswered questions."
	378. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J. K. Rowling (5 November 2007) [7/10] "Rowling has created an interesting universe and a story that surely will never go out of print. I certainly will probably read the entire series several more times in my lifetime, in spite of the numerous problems that a more careful writer would have addressed."
	377. A Density of Souls by Christopher Rice (2 November 2007) [5/10] "Even though I had some problems with the construction of A Density of Souls, I found the plot reasonably well formed for a first novel. The story keeps you reading because you find the characters interesting although ultimately underdeveloped."
	376. The Seeker: The Dark Is Rising directed by David L. Cunningham (16 October 2007) [6/10] "The Seeker has it fun and scary moments, but the threat of evil -- in spite of its well demonstrated power -- feels hollow, and the teenage protagonist too easily defeats in five days a force that has had thousands of years to prepare."