Movie Review: The Lion King (2019)

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Looks great

Cons: Adds nothing to the story we already know

The Bottom Line:

This faithful remake

Brings nothing new to story

But looks amazing

Stunning Visuals in a Pointless Remake

25 years ago, I went to my first opening night of a movie to see the original version of The Lion King.  I loved it then, and I still love the movie.  And the Broadway show.  So, I was intrigued by the new remake of the film enough to go see it on opening night.  (Oh, Thursday night might be considered a preview night, but with as many showings as they are doing, it was opening night.)

If you aren’t familiar with the story, it takes place completely in the animal kingdom.  We meet Simba as a young cub (voiced by JD McCrary).   He is the crown prince of his lion pride, the son of Mufasa (James Earl Jones).  However, his uncle, Scar (Chiwetel Ejiofor), wants the throne and he will do anything to claim it.  What will the outcome of his actions be?

Now, let’s get one thing straight from the beginning.  No matter how Disney may be marketing this, it is NOT a live action remake.  It is a highly realistic CGI remake – a different type of animation, but animation none the less.  And let’s give full credit to the visuals – this movie looks amazing.  These look like real animals on the screen interacting with a real background.  It’s easy to let your mind go and believe everything you are seeing on the screen.  Yes, a few insects look fake, but that’s a minor complaint when you are looking at an almost two-hour movie.  And some of the actions the characters do at times helps make it seem like these are real animals.  They not only look like real animals, but they move like them and at times behave like them.

On the other hand, in all the glut of Disney remakes, this one is the most pointless to date.  It isn’t a shot for shot remake of the original animated version, but it is close, and some scenes certainly are.  They have added about half an hour to the original story, and there are bits and pieces snuck in throughout the movie.  A couple of sequences are obviously expanded, but there is no scene that is clearly added just for this movie.

But that also means there really is nothing new to the story.  As much as some of the recent remakes have been retreads of the main story, they have still added character background or a new sub-plot.  Here, we really get nothing new.  We are watching this movie purely for the stunning visuals.

Now hear me out.  I’m not saying this movie is bad.  The story is still powerful, and it is easy to get into the events as they unfold yet again.  While a few of my favorite lines aren’t here, there are some new ones that are great – especially a joke at the beginning of the climax that had the audience I saw it with laughing hard.

The voice cast does a good job overall.  There are a couple of scenes where things feel a bit off, but that’s probably just my take on it because I’m so used to the original.  James Earl Jones reprises his role as Mufasa, and it is hard to imagine anyone else’s voice bring the character to life.  He’s the only returning actor.  In addition to the ones I already mentions, we get the likes of Donald Glover, Beyonce, Penny Johnson Jerald, Seth Rogan, and Bill Eichner.

All the song we love from the animated film are here, and they are easily a highlight of the film.  Fans of the Broadway version will recognize some of the songs from that version in the soundtrack as well.  Honestly, I wish they had fully put them in the film because they are powerful songs that add so much to the characters, but that’s a minor complaint.

I really did enjoy the remake of The Lion King.  It would be nice if the filmmakers had put their own spin on things, but even as it is, this is a visual feast that retells a great story.

And the Winner is....

I just pulled the winner of The Pawful Truth.  And that winner is...

...Christi!

I just sent you an e-mail, so if you can please confirm your address, I'll make sure you get your prize.

Book Review: The Tell Tail Heart by Cate Conte (Cat Cafe Mysteries #3)

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Complex plot, great characters, atmosphere

Cons: None for me

The Bottom Line:

Murder, coming storm

And someone claiming her cat

Complex and fun book

Off Season Murder and an Approaching Storm

All of us have vacation destinations we love, and we dream about living there full time.  One reason I love cozy series is because we get to do just that – at least in fictional locations.  But what is a location like when the tourists aren’t as prevalent?  We get a peek at that in The Tell Tail Heart, the third Cat Café Mystery from Cate Conte.

Things on Daybreak Island have gotten quieter now that it has entered November and the season is officially over.  Maddie James is using the time to work on renovations to her cat café to make it even better for guests when the tourists return in the spring.  There are still a few locals who drop in, but she’s really surprised about the man who came in, paid for a week in advance, and spends most of his time working on his laptop despite the noise of the renovations.

However, things get interesting when a woman shows up and announces that she believes JJ, Maddie’s cat, is really her cat.  Naturally, the encounter upsets Maddie, but it is soon pushed to the back of her mind when a body is found floating in the water next to the yacht club.  With a Nor’easter approaching the island, will that interfere with the investigation into the death?

Actually, I loved that storm.  It helped give the book some wonderful atmosphere.  Even though I started the book over the 4^th of July, I still felt the cold rain and wind as I was reading.  It also made the island feel even more isolated, kind of like a classic Agatha Christie setting.  I also got a kick out of Maddie’s thoughts about not being used to cold weather after living for several years in California since I often talk about the exact same thing.

My teaser just scratches the surface of what is happening in this book, and I love how the events conspired to keep Maddie and ourselves guessing about killer and motive until the end.  By the time we reach the end, it all makes sense, and we get a great climax.

Author Cate Conte used this book to dig deeper into one of the island characters introduced in the first couple of books.  I don’t think this character has had more than a handful of scenes in the earlier books, and I just thought he was just there to provide a little color.  I enjoyed getting to learn more about him as the events of the story unfolded.  There are plenty of new characters introduced to be suspects as well, and I found them interesting.

Naturally, we see the core cast as this book unfolds, although a few of the recurring characters don’t get much page time here.  I love this cast, so it was fun to spend more time with them.  And I’m quite anxious to visit them again after the ending of this book.

The Tell Tail Heart is another great addition to this already fun series.  Pick it up today and be prepared to be charmed.

Enjoy the rest of the Cat Cafe Mysteries.

Ornament Review: Nine Ladies Dancing - 12 Days of Christmas #9 - 2019 Hallmark Ornament

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Beautiful coloring on the lady dancing

Cons: None

The Bottom Line:

Elegant dancing

As series keeps spinning on

A delightful piece

Elegant Lavender Lady Dancing

We have firmly turned the corner in Hallmark’s current 12 Days of Christmas series this year since this is our second year with humans.  It only makes sense since this year we get Nine Ladies Dancing.

Okay, so we really just get one lady dancing, but she elegant.  She is wearing a very pretty lavender dress and shoes.  Around the bottom of her dress are the notes and words for her verse of the song.  In her hand, she’s holding a gold heart with nine on it, the substitute for the dangle element we got with the birds.  Her hair is up in a bun, and she has a hint of a smile on her face.

I do miss the almost decoupage feel of the earlier ornaments in this series, but that is a minor complaint.  This ornament looks so elegant.  With her on her toes, she feels like she is in the middle of dancing for us, and the heart she is holding would become a prop in the dance.  Imaging eight more dancing with her would be quite the show.  While the majority of the ornament is plastic, there is a real ribbon tied around her waist.

Because she is on her toes, she wouldn’t stand up on her own, but none of the series would stand on their own, so that’s no real surprise.  Fortunately, she is perfectly balanced, so when you hang her on your tree, you’ll find she hangs straight.

No, the 9 on the heart she is holding is not the series marker on her.  It’s hidden where you’d expect it to be, on the underneath part of her dress between her feet.

The color also blends well with the light blue that was used last year for the Maid a Milking.  The two will be pretty together side by side.  It makes me look forward to seeing the color we will get for next year’s ornament.

While the style of the series might have changed a little, I am still quite happy with the look of this year’s Nine Ladies Dancing.  I can’t believe we only have three years left in the series.

Missing earlier entries?  Here are the rest of the 12 Days of Christmas series.

Original Price: $12.99

Book Review: Ripe for Vengeance by Wendy Tyson (Greenhouse Mysteries #5)

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Strong characters make for a compelling story

Cons: None ripe enough to discuss

The Bottom Line:

Friends from Denver’s past

Bring tension, murder to town

In compelling book

Corporate Volunteer Event Leads to Murder

Obviously, I enjoy a wide range of tones in my books, from comedic to the more serious.  Wendy Tyson’s Greenhouse Mysteries definitely fall into the more serious side of the spectrum, but the depth of character makes them so good.  Ripe for Vengeance is no exception.

Megan Sawyer is excited because some of her boyfriend’s friends are coming to Winsome, Pennsylvania, and she’s looking forward to seeing a different side of Denver Finn.  They all work for BOLD Pharmaceuticals, and have been volunteered to mentor students at a nearby private school for troubled teens, starting with a weekend camping trip in the local state park.  They have arrived in town a day early, and Megan and Denver are joining them for dinner the night before.  However, the dinner doesn’t go the way that Megan expects, with tensions just barely hiding below the surface.  Even Denver seems uncomfortable around his old friends.

Unfortunately, the trip ends with the death of one of Denver’s friends, and the police are absolutely certain that it was murder.  Among the teens going on the trip is Dillon, the foster son of Denver’s aunt, and he was the one who found the body.  Given Dillon’s horrible past, the police think that he snapped and committed the murder, but Denver’s aunt is certain that the teen is innocent, and Megan herself has her doubts.  Instead, she thinks the focus should be on the remainder of Denver’s friends.  Can she figure out what really happened in the woods?

I mentioned the characters already, so let’s start there.  For the first time, the book doesn’t focus on Megan’s past and her own mixed up family.  Instead, it explores Denver more.  But that didn’t make it any less compelling.  I enjoyed getting to see more of Denver since I love his character.  We do get to see many of the characters we’ve already met in the series, although we don’t spend much time with them.  Instead, the focus is on the new characters involved in the current murder and how the unfolding events are affecting them.

While brings us to the plot.  This may not be a page turning book filled with twists and turns, but it is still page turning.  Because the characters are so real, they draw us into the story quickly and we need to know how the events unfolding around them will impact them when all the dust settles.  Now, this isn’t to say that the book has no twists or surprises – this is a mystery, after all.  The clues and red herrings are in place, and I was confused as to who the killer might be until Megan figured it out.  Then, it made perfect sense.

This series definitely falls a bit more on the traditional side of the spectrum.  There is a very light smattering of foul language as the book goes along, and the more serious tone keep this from feeling fully cozy.  But if you enjoy a solid story that will pull you in, you need to read this serious.  Just make sure you are in the mood for something more serious so the book is a good match.

Not that the book is all dark.  There is a very fun sub-plot involving a pig, and enough animal cuteness to keep the book from getting too dark.

Ripe for Vengeance is a character driven page turner that will hook you quickly and pull you into Megan’s world.  Plan to set aside quite a bit of time when you open this book because you won’t want to stop reading.

Enjoy more great mysteries with the rest of the Greenhouse Mysteries.

NOTE: I received an ARC of this book.

Ornament Review: Golfer Snoopy - Spotlight on Snoopy #22 - 2019 Hallmark Ornament

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Snoopy, Woodstock, Golf.  What’s not to love?

Cons: None for me

The Bottom Line:

Ready to hit ball

Great moments for these two friends

Fore golf, Peanuts fans

There’s Just One Word for 2019’s Spotlight on Snoopy Ornament.  Fore!

As I’ve mentioned several years when reviewing the Spotlight on Snoopy series, I grew up in Santa Rosa, where Charles Schultz lived for most of his career.  But what I haven’t mentioned is that took golf lessons at one point when I was in Jr. High.  (No, I haven’t played in years.)  The pro shop had a signed Peanuts strip about golf.  Why am I bringing this up?  Because it all came flooding back to me when I saw that this year we were going to get Golfer Snoopy.

The ornament is pretty much what you’d expect from the title.  Snoopy is decked out as a golfer with a red visor, blue collared shirt, and brown golf shoes.  He’s holding a wood and is about to tee off.  There’s just one complication – Woodstock is sitting on the ball looking up at his friend.  If he doesn’t move, he’s about to go on an unplanned flight.

Obviously, this ornament makes me smile.  While I haven’t played golf in ages (outside of miniature golf), I did enjoy the golf I played as a kid.  (Then again, the fact that I was playing with my grandpa and my uncle and other family members may have had something to do with that, too.)  This brings those memories back in a rush, especially with the connection to the strip in my memories.

As a Peanuts fan, I appreciate this ornament as well.  Snoopy played plenty of golf in the strip, so there is the obvious tie in.  Woodstock and Snoopy look great, as always.  Fans of the characters, especially golfers, will feel like I do about this ornament.

Snoopy is standing in grass, and that grass provides a nice, flat base, so you can easily set the ornament out to be displayed.  You’ll find the 22 in a Christmas tree series marker on the bottom of the ornament as well.

Or, you can hang this ornament on your tree.  The hook is in the top of Snoopy’s head coming out of his visor.  While Snoopy is on one side of the ornament, he is the heaviest part, so the ornament almost hangs straight.  Honestly, you have to be looking for it to see the tilt.

A lot of the Hallmark ornaments I enjoy inspire nostalgia in me, and Golfer Snoopy captures that perfectly for me.  I’m thrilled to have it in my collection.

Love Snoopy?  You won't want to miss any of the Spotlight on Snoopy ornaments.

Original Price: $14.99

Book Review: The Secret of Shadow Ranch by Carolyn Keene

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Action packed, fun mystery

Cons: Weak characters, dated language, one massive coincidence

The Bottom Line:

Arizona trip

Mystery on haunted ranch

Fun Nancy story

Is the Ranch Haunted?

I know I read some Nancy Drew books as a kid, but I’m finding I have a hard time remembering which ones I read.  I feel like I read The Secret of Shadow Ranch, but I didn’t remember any of the details at all as I was reading it this month.

It’s summer, and Nancy has been invited to spend it with her best friends Bess Marvin and George Fayne on the ranch their uncle Ed and aunt Bet have just bought in Arizona.  However, she has barely landed when she learns that things aren’t going well on the ranch.  Someone is trying to drive the new owners off the land with acts of sabotage, most of which are foreshadowed by a phantom horse.  There is a legend that an old outlaw cursed the ranch, but Nancy thinks the culprits are more modern and very real.  Can she figure out what is going on and why?

This may be the fifth book in the series, but this is the first time that Bess and George show up since Nancy had a different sleuthing partner in the first four books.  I find it funny that, at least in the edits, we don’t get much of an introduction to Bess and George here, but I’m not surprised.  Ned and his friends are still absent, although Ned does get a mention in passing, which is funny since Nancy hasn’t met him yet.

The mystery itself is fine.  While I didn’t remember any of the specifics (if I’d read it in the first place), it is fairly easy to predict where things are going if you are familiar with the series, but that doesn’t make it any less fun.  There are a few twists and turns I wasn’t expecting along the way which helped keep my interest.  I had to roll my eyes at one mighty huge coincidence in the book even though I saw it coming early on, but that’s just how this series is.

Likewise, I always forget how thin the characters are in these books until I pick them up.  The emphasis is on the action and story, with very little time put into the characters.  Still, we do care about them.  It’s a testament to how they are written that we can like them so quickly.  I always find it funny how Nancy has the skills needed for any story.  Fortunately, Nancy and her friends are expert horse riders since that comes into play here.  I never really notice my issues with the characters as a kid, but it is obvious reading these books now.

Obviously, it is easy to notice the flaws as an adult, but I still zoomed through the pages as quickly as possible to figure out what happened.  I’m sure kids today will do the same.

This book was last updated in the 1950’s, so some of the language used is certainly dated.  Heck, a phrase or two stopped me.  There’s nothing bad here, but I suspect that this is what will throw kids the most who pick up this book today for the first time.

But I suspect that, like me, they will find themselves flying through The Secret of Shadow Ranch to find out just how Nancy pieces things together.  Flaws and all, this is still a fun mystery.

July 13th's Weekly TV Thoughts

Thanks to a marathon burn off of a six episode season, I had quite a busy week of TV watching.

American Ninja Warrior – I love how the Ninja community supports each other.  Mike’s story and the other supporting him on the sidelines and in the last year was so touching.  A rookie made it to the mega tower again, which is great to see.  And I’m thrilled that Grant hit the buzzer.  I really want to see him make it to Vegas this year.

Scream: Resurrection – Yes, I watched all six episodes of the “season,” story, whatever this week.  I am a Scream fanatic, so seeing it with Ghostface and Roger Jackson’s voice was wonderful.  The writing and acting could have been sharper.  I should have seen a couple of the twists coming.  They made it so obvious we were supposed to suspect other characters that I figured it wasn’t them.  They sort of tied up most of my plot holes in the finale.  And some of those kills were absolutely brutal.  I still wish they’d wrapped up the original characters with this TV series, however.  I want to know what or who was ultimately behind everything there.

July 12th's Book Beginnings and Friday 56

It's been over a month since I last did Book Beginnings and Friday 56?  I should fix that.

I'm going to feature some teases from The Tell Tail Heart by Cate Conte.

                                               


I finished this book a couple of days ago, and I enjoyed it.  Look for my review next Thursday.

Here's how the book begins:

"How do you suppose he can work with all this noise?"

Jumping ahead of page 56, we find:

"If you indulge, I'll join you," he said.

Okay, so there wasn't anything super interesting on page 56, but I do find that first sentence a little intriguing.

Wishing you a great weekend.

Book Review: The Pawful Truth by Miranda James (Cat in the Stacks Mysteries #11)

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Charming characters we love to see

Cons: Plot a little weak for this series

The Bottom Line:

Charlie takes a class

Student becomes history

Charming characters

As the Campus Turns

It’s hard to go wrong with a visit with Charlie and Diesel the stars of the Cat in the Stacks Mysteries.  The books are filled with charming characters and cute pets.  The Pawful Truth is another such wonderful visit.

It’s the start of the semester, and Charlie Harris has decided to enroll in a class.  No, he’s not considering leaving his job working in the Athena College library archives, but he’s decided to indulge his love of history with a course in medieval history taught by one of the most popular professors on campus.  In his first day in class, Charlie can see why Dr. Carey Warriner is so popular.  Yes, the man is handsome which is an obvious draw for some of the ladies, but his passion for the subject comes through in his lectures, and Charlie is fascinated by all he has already learned.

However, as Charlie leaves class that first day, he hears part of an angry exchange between Dr. Warriner and Dixie Bell Compton, the only other non-traditional student in the class.  He doesn’t intend to give it much credence, but he begins to hear rumors about Dr. Warriner and his relationship with his wife, a professor in the English department.  When Dixie turns up dead under mysterious circumstances, Charlie can’t help but wonder if his professor is also a murderer.  Will his position in the class give him an opportunity to come up with a clue?

Now, I know I haven’t mentioned Diesel, Charlie’s Maine Coon cat, in my recap at all.  While Diesel isn’t attending class with Charlie, trust me, he is still very much an active part of the book as always.  If you are a fan of this cat (and who isn’t if they’ve read any of the books in the series), you’ll be quite satisfied with his antics here.  I have to give a special shout out to Ramses, the newest kitten in Charlie’s life, who steals quite a few scenes of his own and made me laugh a few times as I was reading.

And the human characters?  They are just as real and charming.  We’ve got a large cast of characters, and they all put in appearances, with extra page time for Charlie’s two grandchildren.  Since this is now the eleventh book in the series, it’s hard not to feel like these are all close friends, and getting to spend time with them is a delight.  And yet they don’t take away from the suspects.  There are only a few of them, but they are as fully realized as the series regulars.

Unfortunately, I did feel the plot was a little weak.  In some ways, it felt a bit more like a soap opera than a usual cozy mystery plot.  And we spent a bit more time speculating than we do uncovering any helpful information, although we do reach a logical conclusion in the end.  Now, this isn’t to say I wasn’t entertained – see my above comment on the characters.  I just feel like some of the twists we normally see were missing here.  Still, I don’t regret my time with this book in the slightest.

Eagle-eyed readers will spot some clues about the next book in the series, coming early next year.  I thought that was a fun bit buried in the book.

The Cat in the Stacks is one of the coziest series out there, and The Pawful Truth is another delightful visit with Charlie, Diesel, and the rest of the gang.  Fans will savor every page and be left anxious for their next visit.  And if you haven’t started this series yet, don’t wait another minute to meet these wonderful characters.

Need to catch up?  Here are the Cat in the Stacks Mysteries in order.

NOTE: I received a copy of this book.

Giveaway!

Thanks to the publisher, I have one copy of this book to give away.  Because it is a physical book, the contest is limited to residence of the US.

Just leave me a comment with your e-mail address so I can get in touch with you if you win.  I will pick the winner Thursday July 18th, so please leave your comment before midnight Pacific Time on 7/18.  You will have until midnight on 7/23 to get back to me, or I will choose a new winner on 7/24.