Book vs. Movie: Allegiant

Hello my lovely readers!
I finally made it to the end of both Veronica Roth’s series of novel as well as the movie adaptations. So let’s see how the final installment turned out!

 

The Plot:
Tris and her friends escaped the only world they ever knew which turned out to be nothing but an experiment. They try to adapt to the real world but of course, things aren’t perfect here either…

 

Book vs. Movie:
Well, you probably know by now that I wasn’t too fond of the series so far. However, I had hoped that the final part would turn things around as I saw a lot of potential in the story.
But I ended up disappointed. I’ll begin with the novel. First of all, I felt like even Veronica Roth had given up on the whole thing by now. For a long stretch of the final book she wasn’t making an effort at all. She decided to split the chapters in two points of view. Some chapters are told from Tris’ view, some from Four’s. However, the chapter were barely distinguishable. Often I had already read half the chapter before I realized that it’s not a Tris but a Four chapter.
In general there’s still a lot of whining going on – now not only by Tris but also to a large extent by her annoying boyfriend. I can’t bring myself to like any of the two characters and they both make for terrible heroes.

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Movie Mania: Kingsman – The Secret Service

Hey guys!
It’s movie review time. Today I want to ramble a bit about Kingsman: The Secret Service a 2014 spy comedy!

 

The Plot:
The Kingsman is a secret service. Independent from government they protect the world.
Once upon a time Eggsy’s father was a member of this organisation and died during a mission. In times of need he calls on the help of one of his father’s former colleagues and is about to become a Kingsman himself…

 

The Rating:
I’ll make it short. Not everything in this movies makes sense. However, the whole thing is so perfectly stylish, you won’t even care. It’s fun and fast-paced, making it the right choice for a film night with friends.
There’s a good balance between comedy and serious scenes. The fight sequences are choreographed wonderfully and this is where the comic origin of this flick comes through. 

TV Show Spotlight: Downton Abbey

Hey guys!
I know I’m a bit late to the party but I finally finished watching Downton Abbey. Let’s see what it’s about!

 

The Plot:
The show is a historical period drama set in England from 1912 to 1926. The stories revolve around the family Grantham who lives at Downton Abbey with their domestic stuff. Over the course of six season, hearts are broken, marriages are celebrated, wars are waged. Each member of the family and the staff has his or her very own story in this fascinating time…

 

Why should you check it out?
To be honest, my feelings about the show are a bit ambivalent. But I’ll start with the positive aspects!
The biggest reason to watch Downton Abbey is Maggie Smith. She plays the Dowager Countess and is absolutely divine. Even in the most serious moments of the show she will make a sharp, sarcastic or witty remark that will leave you laughing out loud. By far my favourite character on the show!
Furthermore, I appreciate that Downton Abbey focuses equally on the upper and the lower class. The staff gets interesting stories with depth and character development. Not only does it really add to the show in general and make the whole thing more broad, I am certain I wouldn’t have enjoyed it nearly as much, had there only been the upper class plotlines. 

Book vs. Movie: Insurgent

Hey guys!
It’s time for another book vs. movie post. You may have read my last one, which was about Divergent, the first installment in Veronica Roth’s series. So let’s check out Insurgent, the second part!

 

The Plot:
Right after the events of Divergent, Tris and her friends continue the fight against Erudite. They try to unite with the Factionless where Four runs into some familiar faces. After an encounter with the Candor, the final battle against Janine and the Erudite begins – with some unexpected results…

 

Book vs. Movie:
Well, those of you who read my last post know that I was no exactly thrilled. However, as the series was so popular, I decided to give it another shot.
I’ll kick off with the novel. Veronica Roth’s idea for a dystopian world seemed interesting and I had expected some development, but the world she created is just as shallow as all of the characters. There is not much added in comparison to the first novel and honestly, you could have cut most of Insurgent anyways. In fact, the whole system seems to make less sense with every page you read.

Book Review: The Good Girls Revolt by Lynn Povich

Hello my lovely readers!
Today I want to talk about a novel every woman out there should read. You may know the Amazon show Good Girls Revolt. What you may not know is that it’s based on real events. Lynn Povich experienced it all first hand and shares her insights!

The Good Girls Revolt by Lynn Povich – Goodreads Cover

 

The Plot:
It’s 1969 and the female employees of Newsweek magazine are about to write history. The women filed a lawsuit against their employers as they were discriminated and treated unequally based on their gender. But the fight is far from over…

 

The Rating:
I hardly ever pick up non-fiction books, but when it comes to The Good Girls Revolt, I felt it was a book I simply had to read.
First of all, I was deeply impressed by the women of Newsweek standing up for their rights in a time when equality was even further away than it is now. They made an important step for all women to come after them. It certainly was a wake-up call for their employers and many others out there.

Movie Mania: I am Number Four

Hey Guys!
Today I’m doing a review on a movie I didn’t exactly like. I am Number Four is based on a book by Pittacus Lore (which I haven’t read yet) and hit cinemas in 2011. Let’s see where it went wrong!

 

The Plot:
John Smith, the main character, is an alien. He was born on Lorien but sent to earth together with a bunch of other kids when the Mogadorians invaded his home planet. John and his guardian have been on the run since then. Well, the aliens are busy little fellows and figured out where the last Loriens are hiding. However, they have to kill them in a particular order from one to nine, and John is number 4…

 

The Rating:
Up front: the only reason I finished this film is because I was stuck in a bus for six hours and there was nothing else to watch. I don’t even know where to begin with what I disliked about it (as it’s pretty much everything).
Well, first of all the cast. Most of the young actors and actresses look like they came directly from a fashion shooting or a runway – and seem to have exactly that much experience with acting. They all have no depth whatsoever, nor any expression to speak of. I couldn’t help but conjure a special place in hell for the person responsible for the casting.