Film Addict's August Film Choice

My kid sister turned 20 this month and while not a big achievement (though she has lasted 20 years without me or my mother killing her), I decided to dedicate Film Addict's August Film Choice to her which meant she got to choose any film for me to review.  So this is Disney's Treasure Planet.

A faithful adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island, Treasure Planet is the 2002 animated fantasy film from Ron Clements and John Musker with the voices of Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Inception, The Dark Knight Rise), Brian Murray (Dream House, In the Family), Emma Thompson (Sense and Sensibility, Nanny McPhee), David Hyde Pierce (Frasier, A Bug's Life), Martin Short (Saturday Night Live, How I Met Your Mother), Michael Wincott (Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, The Crow), Laurie Metcalf (Toy Story, Roseanne), and Roscoe Lee Browne (Babe, Spider-Man the Animated Series) bringing this eclectic group of characters to life.  While a faithful adaptation, there is the major alteration of the film being set in space instead so to make it stand out from other Disney adaptation of Stevenson's Treasure Island.

Just like Film Addict's May Film Choice, Brother Bear, which was dedicated to my best friend, I'm going to add another point to my normal review points which reminds me of my kid sister.

Rating: 9

Recommended To: Disney fans; anyone; adventure fans

Favourite Characters: Dr. Doppler - funny; Jim - loveable; Captain Amelia - just love her

Favourite Part: Captain Amelia: [to a protesting Doppler] Let me make this as... monosyllabic as possible.  I...don't much care for this crew you hired.  They're...
[to Arrow] How did I describe them, Arrow?  I said something rather good this morning before coffee.
Mr. Arrow: 'A ludicrous parcel of drivelling galoots,' ma'am.
Captain Amelia: [to Doppler] There you go, poetry.

Good Points: Variety in character designs; dialogue was great; father-son relationship explored; Silver - a villain who wasn't evil for the sake of it

Bad Points: Not a lot of female characters; Jim and his parents are the only humans

Special Point: Morph - many reasons behind this one

Geek Alert - August Loot Crate

It's a bird! It's a plane! No, it's the August Loot Crate.

I was so excited this month when I found out about Loot Crate and what it offers.  It's a subscription service that you get a box full of themed stuff sent to you once a month.  As others have said, it's like a Christmas present every month from a family member who knows you're a geek/gamer.  They like Looters to film when they open their Loot Crates but I don't like to hear my own voice on film so I've decided to blog about it instead.  Originally, they didn't ship to the UK but obviously now they do and I get to enjoy the experience for myself, yay!

Cressida Cowell - How to Train Your Dragon

I seem to be on a comic book/graphic novel kick at the minute and I haven't decided whether I am going to add graphic novels and manga to my blog because it's a different style of book; however, I did decide to read the original book that How to Train Your Dragon film and its sequel, starring Jay Baruchel and Gerard Butler, were inspired from.  I know it's for kids but I wanted to mix things up a bit from my usual books, plus I'm always curious about where a film is adapted from and how it differs which is why I read graphic novels from Marvel and DC.

How to Train Your Dragon is the first in Cressida Cowell's series of the same name which was first published in 2003; How to Train Your Dragon is set in a fictional Viking world and focusses on Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third, a young Viking, who is learning how to train his dragon as a pet as his ancestors have before him.

Rating: 7

Recommended To: Dragon lovers; boys would love it

Favourite Characters: Old Wrinkly

Favourite Part: 'Anyway,' said Old Wrinkly, 'it might be just what this Tribe needs, a change in leadership style.  Because the thing is, times are changing.  We can't get away with being bigger and more violent than everybody else any more.  IMAGINATION.  That's what they need and what you've got.  A Hero of the Future is going to have to be clever and cunning, not just a big lump with overdeveloped muscles.  He's going to have to stop everyone quarrelling among themselves -and get them to face the enemy together.' - Page 77-8

Good Points: Engaging story; funny book; different dragons

Bad Points: Massive time skips; could have worked better as first person

Guardians of the Galaxy

My Marvel antenna has gone up this month and while I didn't go out on opening weekend, I really did want to see the latest addition to Marvel Cinematic Universe because I love anything Marvel related.  What was even better was that I loved the cast that was chosen because it was so varied but had potential.  My mum thought this was a spoof of the Marvel films and I can see why because of the trailer but after much insistence that they were part of the Marvel world, she became curious to see what it was all about.  So my sister treated me and my mum to a trip to the cinema so we could see the latest superhero film out, an interest all three of us share.

Guardians of the Galaxy is the latest addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe directed by James Gunn; it is the tenth instalment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and is based on the team of the same name from Marvel.  A brand new cast was brought in to play the ragtag team who are meant to save the galaxy and other alien characters in this universe.  The stars include Chris Pratt (Parks and Recreations, The Lego Movie), Zoe Saldana (Star Trek, Avatar), Dave Bautista (Riddick, The Man with the Iron Fists), Vin Diesel (The Fast and the Furious series, The Iron Giant), and Bradley Cooper (The Hangover series, Silver Linings Playbook) as the Guardians and the supporting cast include Lee Pace (The Hobbit series, Pushing Daisies), Michael Rooker (Jumper, The Walking Dead), Karen Gillan (Doctor Who, Oculus), Djimon Hounsou (How to Train Your Dragon 2, The Island), John C. Reilly (Wreck-It Ralph, Step Brothers), Glenn Close (Tarzan, Dangerous Liaisons), and Benicio del Toro (Sin City, Snatch.).  Del Toro is the only cast member to return, having appeared at the end of Thor: The Dark World in one of the credit scenes,

Rating: 10

Recommended To: Anyone; Marvel lovers

Favourite Characters: Peter Quill; Groot

Favourite Part: Gamora: I know who you are, Peter Quill, and I will not succumb to your pelvic sorcery.

Good Points: The chemistry between the main five; all of the Guardians were endearing in their own way; the special effects; the comedic elements; refreshing to have a new batch of characters

Bad Points: Gamora and Nebula relationship wasn't really explored

Bailey Cates - Brownies and Broomsticks

I've recently read normal, non-fiction books that differ from my normal books as well as my usual bag of weirdness in the form of dystopic/post-apocalyptic books and other genres and watched a varied bunch of films; because of this, I decided to read a new series which falls into the cosy crime genre that I like to read every so often and expand my author knowledge base.

Brownies and Broomsticks is the first in Bailey Cates's Magical Bakery Mystery series which focusses on Katie Lightfoot as she moves to Savannah to work with her aunt and uncle in the Honeybee Bakery.  Bailey Cates also works under the names Cricket McRae and K.C. McRae and has written other mystery books like this series.  While this is similar to other cosy crime books I've read where the protagonist has nothing to do with working in law enforcement but inadvertently become involved in some kind of investigation, this series involves magic of different variations which make it stand out to me.

Rating: 6

Recommended To: Stephanie Plum fans; cosy crime fans

Favourite Characters: Katie; Mungo

Favourite Part: He stroked my cheek with his thumb.  Before I knew it, his lips were on mine.  His kiss was quick, casual and undemanding.  Warm and comforting.  Nice.  My body pressed against his for a moment before I gathered my wits and stepped back.
"Um," I said.
He grinned.  "Don't worry.  That was just an accident.  Life having supper with someone." - Page 194

Good Points: Concept; an easy read; wasn't just Wiccan magic

Bad Points: Love triangle; predictable; could have looked back at Katie's parents more