Movie Review: The Hunger Games - Catching Fire

Stars: 3 out of 5

Pros: Acting, effects, character development

Cons: Slow, repetitive story; middle part of trilogy

The Bottom Line:

Curse of trilogy

Evident in middle part

Leaves you wanting more

“Since the Last Games Something is Different.  I Can See It.”  “What Can You See?”  “Hope.”

Unfortunately, trilogies follow certain patterns.  It is rare to find a strong middle part to a series that knows it is a trilogy.  I wasn’t thinking about that when I sat down to watch The Hunger Games: Catching Fire.  And yet, by the time I was done I was able to see how that afflicted the story.

(And yes, I know they are making four movies, but they are doing it by splitting the final book into two parts, therefore I’m still counting the story as a trilogy.)

As the movie opens, it’s been almost a year since the events of the first film, and Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) still hasn’t completely recovered emotionally from her time in the hunger games.  Unfortunately, she has to put on her happy face since it is time for her and Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) to leave on their victory tour and put on the act that they are in love, something that doesn’t sit well with would be boyfriend Gale (Liam Hemsworth).

As Katniss and Peeta travel around, they see just how everyone lives and the fact that rebellion is about to spark.  President Snow (Donald Sutherland) blames this on Katniss, so he devises a plan to get her killed and end all hope of rebellion.  But with Katniss more focused on saving Peeta, will she play into his hands?

Actually, this movie suffers from two problems.  First, it knows it is a sequel and tries too hard to repeat things that worked from the first story.  The result are scenes that actually bore us.  They were never the best scenes the first time around, but they are actually even worse now.  In fact, the entire second part of the movie feels recycled.  This is the fault of the source material and not the movie itself, but it is still a problem.

Then there’s the problem I talked about earlier, the middle part of a trilogy issue.  The problem with middle parts of trilogies is they must bridge the gap between the first part and the climax.  Obvious, right?  However, they often become so involved with getting characters from point A to point B that the story suffers.  In this case especially, the movie just ended with a couple of major revelations and no real conclusion.  It just stopped.  I will give it credit for working since I really want to know what happens next.

And that’s the truth about this film.  While there are serious flaws with it, it is still mostly entertaining.  The action scenes and special effects are well done and there are some creative touches to the story that make it good.  The needed character growth is there and very good.  And things have been moved around so we can bring this story to what looks to be an explosive climax over the next two films.

And I’m certainly not blaming the actors for any faults in the film.  They are all fantastic at bringing their characters to life.

I’d also like to point out that I still haven’t read the books, so this was my introduction to the story.  I had no issues following what was happening.  I’m sure there is more depth in the book (there always is), but if you aren’t familiar with the franchise, you won’t get lost if you stick with the films.

As a transition film, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire works well.  Unfortunately, it never becomes any more than that.  Still, it will leave you wanting to know what happens to these characters next.

Movie Review: Murder She Baked - Chocolate Chip Cookie Mystery

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Fun and fairly faithful take on a great book

Cons: A bit too enthusiastic in the acting

The Bottom Line:

A delicious book

Turns into light, fun movie

That fans should enjoy

Fun Film Version of a Delicious Mystery

I am always intrigued when a series I love is turned into a movie, so I knew I’d have to watch Murder She Baked: Chocolate Chip Cookie Mystery as soon as I heard about it.  After all, I’ve been reading Joanne Fluke’s Hannah Swensen series since that book, the first in the series, came out.  As I expected, they definitely made some changes to the book and characters, but I really did enjoy it.

Hannah Swensen (Alison Sweeney) lives in Eden Lake, Minnesota, where she runs The Cookie Jar, a popular cookie shop.  The worst thing she faces is her mother Delores’s (Barbara Niven) attempts to set her up.  The latest is the new dentist in town, Norman (Gabriel Hogan).

However, one day Ron LaSalle (Jason Cremak), the deliveryman from the local dairy, is late with the order for The Cookie Jar.  When Hannah goes out back, she finds Ron shot next to some of her Chocolate Chip Crunch Cookies.  Despite warnings from Mike (Cameron Mathison), a state detective brought in to work the case, Hannah starts poking her nose into the mystery.  Will she figure out what happened?

Despite the fact that I first read the book back in 2001, I actually remember the plot fairly well (my reread in 2006 might help with that), and I’m happy to say the movie stuck close to it.  I’m sure there were details and suspects they cut out for time, but it unfolded pretty much as I remembered it.  That’s impressive since they played up the new romances that begin between Hannah and both Mike and Norman here.

Of course, in almost any movie, the details are going to be changed.  I can sit here and start listing them for you.  Hannah lives in a house instead of a condo.  Lisa, Hannah’s employee later partner at the bakery played by Juliana Wimbles, is too old for the character in the series.  And on and on.

But you know what?  It really didn’t care.  Every time a new character from the series popped up, I smiled.  I was just having too much fun seeing these characters I love brought to life.  And there were plenty of great nods to the series in the movie.  I loved that all the desserts and cookies mentioned have been made it in the series.  While the actual recipes are missing (obviously), we even heard the secret ingredient in the title cookies.

The characters were a tad off from how I picture their personalities, but I think that was a result of the acting.  Everyone just seemed a tad over enthusiastic.  It was the style they were going for, and as I got in to the movie, it didn’t bother me nearly as much.

No, this isn’t a great movie, but it is fun.  If you are a fan of Hannah, you’ll enjoy it.  And if you are looking for a light, fun mystery, then Murder She Baked: Chocolate Chip Cookie Mystery will fill that need and leave you craving the books.

Interested in reading the book that inspired this movie?  Here's my review of Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder.

Ornament Review: Monopoly - Family Game Night #2 - 2015 Hallmark Ornament

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Fun take on Monopoly

Cons: Back of ornament quite plain; tips forward

The Bottom Line:

Anniversary

Makes this Monopoly’s year

For board game series

Do You Need a Monopoly on this Ornament?

Last year, I was thrilled when Hallmark started the Family Game Night ornament series since I have so many fond memories of playing games.  Since 2015 happens to correspond to the 80^th anniversary of Monopoly, that game gets the honor of being our second entry in the series.

Like with the first in the series, we get a wonderful 3D ornament of a board game box.  The game box forms the back of the ornament with a corner of the game board sticking straight out at us.  Across the front, we get Rich Uncle Pennybags running across.  In front of him are a house, a hotel, and the race car game token.  And the corner of the game board sticking out at us?  Advance to Go and I’ll tell you.

While I grew up with a very different version of the box cover, I’ve seen enough copies in the stores recently to recognize it as the modern Monopoly game cover.  I certainly do recognize it as a Monopoly game cover.  It’s enough to bring up fond memories.  No, I never played this game for hours on end.  I tend to give up when it is obvious I’ve lost, but I still love it.  And I have enough variations on the game I love to play as well.  (In fact, I’ve reviewed those variations but never the original game.)

The one down side to these ornaments is the back.  In this case, it’s perfectly plain red.  It does give a place for the series marker, but it would be fun if they painted it like the back of the box or gave us something to see back there.

With the game board sticking out of the front of the box, you’ll find it actually has a nice, flat surface, so you can set this one out to display year round if you so desire.

The loop for hanging this ornament is on the top of the box.  As a result, when you slip a hook through it, you’ll find that it tips forward slightly.  You can take advantage of that if you hang it near the top of your tree since it will allow you to view the details on the ornament better.

I am so loving seeing what they do with these old childhood (and adult) favorites.  Monopoly will be a winner for a long time to come.

Enjoy games?  Be sure to check out the rest of the Family Game Night series.

Original Price: $14.95

Book Review: Driving Heat by Richard Castle (Nikki Heat #7)

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Great mystery to keep you turning pages, fun tie ins to Castle

Cons: Supporting characters could be a little stronger

The Bottom Line:

The next mystery

Keeps Nikki guessing and us

Turning the pages

Heat Drives Toward Another Case Solved

Every year, I look forward to reading the latest Nikki Heat mystery by “Richard Castle.”  Yes, I find the mysteries to be good, but I also enjoy seeing what small references to the show Castle they slip into the book.  Driving Heat is the seventh in this bestselling series, and it’s another wonderful ride.

For those who aren’t in on the joke and the series, these novels were inspired by the TV show Castle.  In that show, Nathan Fillion plays Richard Castle, a bestselling author who decides to base his latest character on NYPD detective Kate Beckett.  This character?  Nikki Heat.  Of course, to do that, Castle must follow Beckett around helping her solve cases.  Somewhere along the way, it was decided that the books Castle was writing should actually be written and published for fans of the show to read.  The identity of the real writer remains a mystery (although I’ve seen some credible theories about who is writing them.)  Bits and pieces of the show appear in each book, although the books are strong enough to stand up on their own to any mystery lover.

This book opens on a day of change for Nikki Heat.  It’s her first day as Captain of the twentieth precinct.  However, the day gets off to a rough start before she even makes it in the office when the body of her psychiatrist, Lon King, is found.  With such a personal connection to the victim, Nikki begins to investigate in addition to taking on her new responsibilities.

Things take an interesting turn when video of the doctor’s office finds Nikki’s fiancée, Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Jameson Rook, going into the office.  He refuses to discuss why he was there, driving a wedge between them and complicating Nikki’s case.  What secret is Rook hiding?  Can she juggle her new administrative duties and still solve the case?

Obviously, the character of Nikki Heat is following the career path of Kate Beckett (who just became a captain this season on the show as well), although she has gone through a different path to get there.  In fact, it was interesting seeing a precinct without the work place drama in this book, something that has added complications to the mystery in the past multiple books in the series.  Part of me enjoyed that, and part of me missed it.  On the other hand, I do like the detectives who are under Nikki, and watching them all work together is quite fun.

The plot is great as well.  It starts a little slowly, but it continues to build until we reach a great climax.  The story managed to surprise me along the way, and the ending was absolutely wonderful. 

Of course, I do have to point out my annual disclaimers about the characters.  While Nikki and Rook are fully developed, the rest of the regulars are a bit thin.  Roach, the detective duo of Raley and Ochoa, based on the TV characters of Ryan and Esposito, are certainly better, but the other trio of homicide cops could be more sharply defined, although they are defined enough for us to like them.  Likewise, these books always read slowly.  It’s not that I’m not into the story, but I’ve finally figured out the type is smaller than I’m used to.  Once I mentally get myself in the space for how long it will take me to read the book, I’m fine.

As I said, these books would be wonderful mysteries even if you didn’t watch the TV show.  However, if you do, you’ll spot a few small references or throw away lines that are from the show.  These moments always make me smile if not laugh outright, and I love them.  And in this book, those in jokes include the name of the murder victim.

So whether you watch the show or not, consider picking up Driving Heat.  You’ll be lost in a great mystery before you know it.

(Now, if only next year’s book can avoid the missteps they are doing on this season of Castle, we’ll be in great shape.)

Looking for more of these creative tie ins?  Check out the Nikki Heat Mysteries in order.

Book Review: The Hidden Staircase by Carolyn Keene (Nancy Drew #2)

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Interesting story and good characters

Cons: A few weaknesses, but still enjoyable

The Bottom Line:

Haunting in mansion

Can Nancy figure out how?

Still fun mystery

How Is the Ghost Haunting the Mansion?

I first read The Hidden Staircase, the second Nancy Drew book, on Christmas Eve.  I can remember getting caught up in the story and the hours flying by, which was a good thing since I didn’t know if I could wait until Christmas Morning to open presents and needed the distraction.  I didn’t remember much about the plot before sitting down to reread it, but I found it just as diverting the second time around.

Nancy Drew is thrilled when her friend Helen Corning calls offering her a new mystery to solve.  It seems that the house her great aunt and great grandmother live in has suddenly become haunted.  They are hearing strange sounds and things are moving across the room when their backs are turned.  Helen wants Nancy to help her figure out what is happening, and Nancy is only too happy to go.

Only before she can even leave, Nancy gets a visitor who claims that her father, lawyer Carson Drew, is in danger.  Suddenly, Nancy is torn, but Carson insists he is quite safe and Nancy should go help her friend.  Is Carson safe?  Can Nancy figure out who is haunting the house, and why?

The title of the book might be considered a spoiler, but Nancy is very quick to conclude that there must be a hidden passage way of some kind in the house, and she spends much of the book trying to locate it.  While she is doing that, we get some more spooky incidents.  They are very mild by haunted house story standards, but they are still fun.  Meanwhile, the sub-plot with Carson heats up and causes some issues as well.  Everything comes together for a good climax.  It’s a little anti-climactic in some ways, but it does resolve everything.

Those most familiar with the series will be surprised to learn that Nancy’s usual sidekicks aren’t around yet.  Nancy does go on a brief date near the beginning of the book, but we never even meet the guy.  Instead of Bess and George helping her solve the mystery, Helen is a quite capable assistant.

I was surprised to find the characters stronger than I remembered in this book.  Oh, they aren’t the fully fleshed out characters in the majority of the novels I read, but they are decent for a middle grade novel.  They certainly made me care about the outcome of the case.

Likewise, the writing was smoother than what I remembered from the first in the series.  Yes, there is lots of telling and summarizing action, but it got the job done and kept me engaged in the story.  In fact, it was only when I was skimming a page at random that I really noticed some of the issues with the writing.

It’s easy to sit here and nitpick the flaws, but on the whole, I found rereading The Hidden Staircase to be a fun experience.  There is a reason that Nancy Drew has been such a popular character for so many years, and you’ll find it here.

This review is part of this week's Marvelous Middle Grade Monday.

October 17th's Weekly TV Thoughts

Let's just get right to it this week, shall we?

Once Upon a Time – Arthur not quite as noble as expected?  Didn’t see that coming.  But what is he really up to?  I’m sure it has something to do with the tip of Excalibur, aka the dagger.  And I’m beginning to wonder if Emma really cast the latest curse of not, too.  If not, who did?  And did she manipulate them into doing it for some reason?  So many questions swirling in my head right now.

Big Bang Theory – Why am I not surprised they aren’t changing the living situation at all?  I know the show’s dynamic would kind of fall apart if they did, but still, I’d kind of like to see something different there, at least for a few episodes.  Not that I didn’t laugh multiple times at the show.  And that show?  The melody was actually kind of catchy.  They just need to come up with someone who can write decent lyrics for it.

Dancing with the Stars – Some of those celebs did amazing this week.  The first perfect score of the season?  (Was the dance really that good?)  And with a switch up partner, too.  It will be interesting to see how all of them do when they go back to their original partners next week.  Oh, and next year I think I’m going to start voting at switch up time and see how Derek does with the worst female celeb left.  Yes, I do have a mean streak.

Castle – I enjoyed this episode more than last week’s.  And this is sort of working with Beckett being in the office and not in the field as much.  But I still don’t like the situation they’ve set up with this break up.  They need to get back together and soon.  Work on things together.  That’s what this show is really all about.

The Muppets – I love Statler and Waldorf, so I think my favorite part of the episode was that sub-plot involving Fozzie accidentally hurting Statler.  I found the rest of it fairly predictable and not really all that funny.  And the first part, I liked just because of the characters involved.

The Flash – Liked this one better than the premier last week.  The new police officer is going to be a fun character.  I like where they are putting Barry right now, and the multiple worlds is going to be fun.  I wonder what their Wells is like?  Of course, there is still the fact that after Eddie killed himself, all that Throne had done should have been erased, so Barry should have his mother and the real Wells from our world should be alive….  They need to address that at some point.  The final scene in our world?  Did not see that coming.

Agents of SHIELD – Why does Simmons need to go back?  That’s the big question on my mind.  The rest of it?  Still too many characters/stories to really get into anything.

Scream Queens – You never split up.  The guy was asking to be this episode’s victim.  So, we know the sorority supervisor was the woman in that house.  What is her role in all of this since obviously she’s not on the side of the good guys?  And who is it she wants killed next?  Theoretically, we could know who the two killers are (since we’ve seen two Red Devils at the same time), the guy from the second episode and her.  But why do I have a feeling there is actually some kind of twist involved?

Arrow – I’m glad we are finally hearing something about the effects of the Lazarus Pit on Thea.  They mentioned there would be some before she was resurrected, but there didn’t seem to be any afterwards.  And yet Laurel is still going to try to resurrect Sara.  (Yes, we knew it was coming for the spin-off, but still.)  I also agree that Green Arrow isn’t that different from Arrow, yet.  I’m sure they will start working on something to fix that now.  But Oliver as Mayor?  I’m with Felicity on that one.

Survivor – And why is Abi still there?  Okay, Jeff was the smarter choice since he’s injured and not doing much for the team.  But seriously, that woman is so paranoid and all over the map, why she gets so much respect/fear is beyond me.

Heroes Reborn – A couple more characters came together, and I feel like we have a bit more of an idea what the overall plan is.  That makes me happy.  I’m still wondering how a few of these pieces are going to come together in the end, however.

The Amazing Race – The Green Team survives the U-Turn!  I’m glad it wouldn’t have made any difference if someone had been U-Turned.  I hate it when the U-Turn is the last thing on the race.  Still don’t get why everyone is hating on the Green Team so much.  It will be interesting to see how the choices from this leg play out in the coming weeks, especially since the teams are still racing right now.

Girl Meets World – From the previews, I was expecting one thing, but it looks like they are giving us something else.  I still want to know why the rest of the kids are in Texas, other than we couldn’t have the show without it.  But I’m just dying to know what they are doing with the love triangle they’ve been building up.  I could see it coming all season, but I want to know how it will end.  I have a feeling the previews have been wrong all along having seen this episode, but I’ll have to tune in Saturday and Sunday nights to find out.

Book Review: The Black Ice by Michael Connelly (Harry Bosch #2)

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Strong characters, some twists to the plot

Cons: Plot could have been tighter.

The Bottom Line:

A cop’s suicide

Begins another good case

For detective Bosch

Designer Drugs and a Murdered Cop

I really had intended to get back to the Harry Bosch books before now.  But I slipped a different book into the Michael Connelly slot in my audio book rotation a few months back, so I’m just now getting to The Black Ice, the second book starring this popular detective.  While I still think I prefer Mickey Haller better, I did enjoy this book.

It’s Christmas night when the body of narcotics police officer Cal Moore is found in a hotel room.  Cal had been missing for several days, and no one was honestly surprised when he turned up dead.  It’s an obvious suicide, even detective Harry Bosch thinks so after his brief look at the crime scene before he is ushered out by top brass in the LAPD.  The only thing that doesn’t really make sense is the note Cal left behind, “I found out who I was.”

The next day, Bosch gets a new case that makes him question whether Moore really committed suicide or not, however.  Then he learns that Moore was secretly working on a case Bosch had asked for his help on involving a designer drug called black ice.  Suddenly, Bosch is beginning to wonder if Moore was really murdered.  Can he overcome department politics to uncover the truth?

The story started well, and we quickly began to see a wide web that tied multiple things together.  How Bosch would prove it all was the real mystery of the book.  I must admit I found that part a little long and drawn out at times, and a few of the twists seemed more like clichés, especially the police department politics.  Granted, the clichés in the cozies I read don’t bother me.  Go figure, right?  Still, there were enough twists to hold my interest, and the climax was very satisfying.

I do like Harry Bosch as a character.  I wish he weren’t such a loner, but it does mean most of the characters we spend much time with are new to this book.  They were all well developed as well, making it easy to care about the outcome of the story.

One of the reasons I didn’t rush back to the series was the reader of the audio book.  Dick Hill over dramatizes at times, and it is actually distracting from the story.  It wasn’t as bad here as in the first in the series, although a supporting character’s stutter was enough to drive me up a wall.  Fortunately, he’s only in a couple of scenes.

Since this is a police procedural, the language and description of violence is significantly more I’m used to reading.  I knew that going in, so this is worth noting only in passing.

Since I’ve already listened to all the Mickey Haller books, I knew that that character and Harry Bosch were half-brothers.  I thought that was something that Michael Connelly had come up with after he’d created the Mickey Haller character, but we actually get a scene in this book where Bosch is remembering meeting his father.  Turns out, that this wasn’t something he came up with late in the process but had set up before he wrote the first book with Mickey Haller as the main character.

The Black Ice is a good second novel.  It’s certainly made me look forward to moving on with the Harry Bosch series.

And, like me, you'll want to move on to the next in the Harry Bosch mysteries in order.

This review is part of this week's Friday's Forgotten Books.

October 16th's Book Beginnings and Friday 56

We've made it to Friday, so it must be time for Book Beginnings and Friday 56!

This week's book is Fry Another Day by J. J. Cook.

This is the second in the Biscuit Bowl Food Truck Mystery series, and it involves a cross country Food Truck rally of sorts with competitions along the stops in the south east.  Oh, and a murder or two thrown in as well.  I really do want to try some of the biscuit bowls!

But, since I could share one with you even if I made one, here's how the book begins:

"Can you really make a biscuit out of sweet potatoes, Zoe?" Delia asked.

The answer to that is...  Wait, you actually expected me to spoil something?  Sorry.  But here's a teaser from page 56:

Uncle Saul made an unbelieving face.  "You think those two are the front runners, Zoe?"
"I think so.  What can't you do with bread?  Who doesn't love cupcakes?  It won't matter what the challenge is, bread or cupcakes will win every time."

Is she right?  You'll have to read the book to find out.  Here's my review.

Floral Depravity Winner!

Time to announce the last winner for the week.  This time, the book was Floral Depravity, and the winner is...

...Gram!

Gram, I've sent you an e-mail.  Please respond it to ASAP so I can connect you with your prize.

Movie Review: Invisible Sister

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Fun story, good characters, great effects

Cons: Predictable story, moments of acting

The Bottom Line:

Seeing another

While being invisible

Fun, predictable

You’ll See Enjoyment from this Movie

One of the advantages of watching Girl Meets World is seeing ads for more Disney Channel original movies I might be interested in.  Granted, I mainly decided to tune in to Invisible Sister because Girl Meets World star Rowan Blanchard was going to be in it, but it sounded like it could be fun.  Turned out, it was.

Cleo (Rowan Blanchard) is the younger sister in the family and everyone pretty much ignores her.  She’s gotten used to just skating by, living in the shadow of her much more popular older sister Molly (Paris Berelc).  Cleo even feels like her parents ignore her.

On Halloween Friday, Cleo’s science experiment goes haywire, and Cleo accidentally makes Molly invisible.  Since Molly has things she has to do at school, Cleo dresses up in Molly’s costume and takes her place, all the time hoping she can figure out a way to undo her experiment.  What might the sisters learn about each other along the way?

No, this movie isn’t incredibly original.  I could pretty much see most of the plot complications coming early on.  This is especially true if you’ve seen Freaky Friday.  And yet, I had a blast watching it because I was having fun.  I really did like Cleo and Molly and found it easy to root for them to succeed.  There were some fun moments and plenty of laughs along the way to the climax, and the quieter character moments worked just as well.

In fact, I was very impressed with the fact that Molly wasn’t a jerk.  I kind of expected her to be before I started watching the movie, but she was actually pretty nice.  I’d say that how both sisters started out was in part thanks to their own actions, something that they realized over the course of the movie, and an element of the film I really appreciated.

The film was filled with current Disney Channel stars.  I can’t tell you what shows they are all in, but I do recognize them from various previews.  The acting was a bit over the top at times, but for the most part it worked and never threw me out of the movie.  And yes, Rowan was toned down from her performance as Riley on Girl Meets World.  (Yes, I think she’s perfect as Riley, but this isn’t as frantic.)

The effects were very well done.  Since one of the characters is pretty much invisible for most of the film, there are lots of effects, and I bought all but one or two of them.  The one thing that tripped me up is that, while the characters can’t see Molly, sometimes we can, so we can see her reactions to things.  That took me a little while to get used to, but once I did, I didn’t mind it.

If you have pre-teens, they’ll definitely enjoy this movie.  And if you give Invisible Sister a chance, you just might find yourself enjoying it as well.  I certainly did.