Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II

Harry, Ron, and Hermione are back for the last time in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II, the final installment of J.K. Rowling's enchanting and epic series.  Throughout the years the series has brought audiences together everywhere to believe in a magical world of wizardry, enchanted castles, dragons and most importantly the extreme value of true friendship and unconditional love.

With gigantic fire-breathing dragons, two-faced Goblins, and even more brewing of an all-too-familiar poly-juice potion, audiences who are devout fans of the series will be anything but disappointed.

There's no easy entry into the second part of the final movie. (Spoiler alert!) It begins without a warning as the screen shows an instant flashback to the ending of the previous film, as sinister Lord Voldemort takes the Elder Wand from Dumbledore's grave. This is the only buffer that may be expected before the audience is hurled back into the quick pace of the story.

Though Part II is possibly the most solemn and epic of all eight films, it wouldn't feel right if Ron didn't throw in a "bloody hell" every now and then. As always, the actors and directors work together to provide comedic relief for the audience in the moments it is most needed. It's a good thing too, as the drama is so intense and the battles so fierce it wouldn't be hard to forget to breathe.

Audiences will have the privilege of watching Harry, Ron, and Hermione uncover the last few horcruxes, find the truth about Professor Snape and even save the life of someone most undeserving. But everyone plays an important part in the last literal battle against Lord Voldemort and his minions. The least likely of heroes sometime rise up in the most risky of situations to surprise everyone with their amount of loyalty and bravery, even themselves- enter Professor McGonagall, Mrs. Weasley and Neville Longbottom.  Some live to tell, while others who were dear friends throughout the series do not.

The Harry Potter movies which have preceded this one often offer a fresh perspective on the ongoing battle of good and evil in the world as well as stirring a newly found desire to defeat that evil- part II to the Deathly Hallows is no different. If anything, the ending to such a series only intensifies that desire to an extreme that will leave them speechless. A reflection of the humor and happier moments of the series, Part II seamlessly ties it all together by giving tribute to the previous films through flashbacks and highlights showcasing the growth Ron, Harry, Hermione, and other important characters have undergone.

(Spoiler alert!) Though it is the shortest of all eight films, resting at 2 hours and 16 minutes, audiences will be surprised by a double ending similar to Lord of the Rings- especially those members who haven't read the book. However, isn't it worth sitting through an extended ending after such a wonderful series so extensive in content? After all, goodbyes should never be rushed.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II is a great ending to an epic journey, and a majestic way to say goodbye to characters who have become so beloved.

Caution: Disturbing images, violence, and some language.

Pirates of The Caribbean- On Stranger Tides

           Who wouldn't do everything within their power to drink from a fountain of youth? Including having to face the Royal British Army, hundreds of flesh-eating mermaids, and even the infamous Blackbeard?  In the new Pirates of the Caribbean,On Stranger Tides, Cap'n Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) jumps headlong into each of these dangerous adventures. With new cast members and a new plot line, Pirates 4 makes for quite the suspenseful ride.

            Jack is back with the same beaded dreds, eyeliner, drunken swagger, and charm that audiences everywhere have come to love. With the widely feared Blackbeard on the loose, Jack has his hands tied trying to begin mutinies, cheat death and make amends with women from his past. Penelope Cruz makes a convincing and stunning leading lady as she plays Blackbeard's daughter Angelica, coincidentally Jack's love interest and rival.

            Strangely enough, Barbosa (Jeffrey Rush) has "repented" of his pirate ways and is now a captain in the Royal British Navy. He and Jack have a go at their usual friendly ways, both racing to find the fountain of youth.

            Though it offers great entertainment for all audiences, Stranger Tides is no competitor with the first installment of the Pirates series,  (Pirates of the Caribbean-the Black Pearl). With far-fetched love stories of mermaids and missionaries, some parts of the movie are unresolved and seem to be unnecessarily trippy. However, after the third Pirates, (Pirates of the Caribbean, At World's End), trippy might be a staple trait.

            Stranger Tides, flaws and all, will have audiences rolling in laughter and caught in comical and supernatural suspense.

Monster- Frank Peretti

MONSTER

by

Frank Peretti

(June, 2000 12:00am Creede CO time/1:00 am Dallas time)

Well I finally finished Monster tonight! After three long weeks, and a 12 hour car ride to Creede CO, I got all the way through! I just haven’t had time to read  with my summer job! When I do, it’s only in small sporadic segments. It won’t take YOU three weeks to read this book; I’m just slow. It’s 419 pages, including the Epilogue, and there’s a super sweet interview with Frank Peretti after that which I still need to go back and read!

            Monster is a book by Frank Peretti ( author of This Present Darkness and The Oath) and one that I’ve wanted to read since I saw it for the first time last summer. It came out in 2005 or 2007, so it’s slightly older, but not ancient.

            It was a good read! Especially the beginning and the end. There were a few points in the middle where the same  thing kept happening over and over and over again and I was trying to decide if I really wanted to finish it, or just move on to a different book, but I had already put in 300 pgs worth, and mom said it got really good from that point on, so I stuck with it. And she was right! Once I reached pg 300 or so I couldn’t put it down! Plus, now I can say I’ve read a Frank Peretti book, and have sampled his writing style.

On his style: He can be pretty scary, obviously, as Christian thrillers are his genre. This book was one of the scarier books I’ve read in my life, which isn’t saying much since I never bother to read scary novels, but my mom, who has read a few of his other books, including monster, says that his other books are rediculously scary, as in having to do with demons and such- a theme I don’t do so well with.  Monster is supposedly one of his less scary novels, and considering, I still found it pretty intense. So I don’t think I’ll be reading This Present Darkness, or House (a Peretti+ Ted Dekker piece). 

             He is really good with figurative language and details, for example he has great imagery, metaphors and similies.

            However, I wouldn’t be truthful if I didn’t tell you that I almost quit reading it when mom told me that the book was about bigfoot. I thought “Ok seriously? This is a total turnoff”. Now, if you know me, you know that I have an interest in mythical creatures and far off places, however Bigfoot has never been an interest of mine.  This, coupled with the fact that there is a lot of science in the book to follow didn’t promise a fantastic read for me in the begining. By science, I mean as in forensic science which I’ve never really been into. For example, when CSI comes on I leave the room.  But I still decided to commited to the book, since I trust my mother’s oppinion of books and she told me to give it a chance.

            I tried to set that part of the story aside and focus on the other elements  of the novel which provoked my interest; the search for the main character, Beck, who gets lost, a couple’s love that  tries to defy the odds as well as men’s faithlessness. There were also the big picture elements of the novel which held promise: mystery, adventure, evolution vs. fatih, and faith in the unseen.   By the end, even the whole bigfoot theme caught my full interest thanks to the creative and personal way Peretti describes and presents the sasquatches. Yes, that’s plural. There are more than one.

            So, all in all,  it was definitely a good read! Obviously, not my all time favorite, but very creative, extremely suspenseful,  an unpredictable ending, and though it had some cheesy lines, the awesome imagery and inventive plot cancelled out any complaints I might have had about a few lines that could be seen as akward. J I like it. Go read it!