alex-at-the-movies

[alex-at-the-movies]

Cirque Du Freak (2009)

Okay so I was originally going to do a more elaborate and in depth review of the movie and compare and contrast to the books, but I've been lagging on this for so long that I might as well just simplify it and save that in depth analysis for another time. So without further ado, here we go.

If you're a fan of the books, chances are you're not pleased with the movie. It's understandable, I get it, I'm a big fan of the series and have read it multiple times so trust me, I know your anger and disappointment. However for people who just saw it because "oh vampire movies are in right now, let's check it out" then you probably don't have the same negative view of it as us. So I will be trying to review it from that perspective because that's actually how I watched it the second time around.

Oh and even though this movie is almost 10 years old, be wary of spoilers as I will probably not be holding anything back unless I want to save it for my other post.

Alright so it presents itself as another teen movie that's made for children, pre-teens, and teens. And for the most part it is, it's quirky and ridiculous at moments because children like that. It's meant to appeal to those children who feel awkward and like they're outcasts, and I can tell that it does try, and it does give the message of "it's okay to be different" so that's good. However the story and character development is where I feel the movie suffers the most. It feels a bit rushed at times and the motives for why a character does something really doesn't make too much sense. For example, the fallout of Steve and Darren, it's extremely childish for someone their age, and to be fair it's not entirely the fault of the script writers. In the books, the boys are 12 and that kind of behavior is much more reasonable as they're not all that mature. Now I'm not saying that 16 year olds aren't immature, they are, it's just that the drama between them did not feel real enough because it simply does not give us enough time before Darren becomes a vampire to really let you get a feel for their friendship, nor does it really give you a good idea of Steve's personality.

Another problem I have is just the amount of information they throw at you in one movie. They introduce a lot of plot elements and characters that shouldn't be there so soon and it just adds to that feeling of being rushed and cramped.

Now most of my problems will probably be explained further in my in depth analysis, so I'll leave it at that. So let me tell you what I liked about the movie.

The actor who played Mr. Tall, I enjoyed the way he brought the character to life by being cryptic, mysterious, creepy, and a showman. Another actor that I enjoyed was John C. Reily, who played Darren's master and mentor Larten Creplsey. While I would have preferred him to be more serious and ominous, the truth is that it's just how he is. His personality and character is more complicated than a brooding vampire who turned a child on a whim, he's serious when necessary and a light hearted good guy with a twisted sense of humor when he can be. I feel if they did the movie properly and didn't try to fit all 12 books into one movie then he would have been so much more amazing.

Now as for other aspects of the movie, I liked the soundtrack and score, it was appropriate for the tone of the movie, which was overall lighthearted with very mild horror and darkness. The special effects weren't really underwhelming or overwhelming, just sort of there, except for the Madam Octa scenes.

To summarize, it's a nice break from the movies like twilight, and it's a great movie to just sit down with some popcorn and watch with your children. However it's clearly a movie that suffers from all the problems of being a book adaptation and while it's watchable, it's definitely not going to be on anyone's top 10 list. I'll give it a 6/10 and I definitely recommend reading the book series it's based on, The Saga of Darren Shan.

#movie review #cirque du freak #movie critic #movie reviewer #movie #alex at the movies #movie blog #review

[alex-at-the-movies]

UPDATE

I am not feeling well at all right now, my physical condition at the moment is a bit unstable so please bear with me as I try to get well rested and more stable so I can follow through with original posts such as updates on any novels/stories I’m working on as well as any movies reviews I’m working on @alex-at-the-movies

[alex-at-the-movies]

Update

I will actually be working on my first review today so it'll hopefully be up in the morning, I'll try to get my second one done by this Saturday as well, but you know how it goes lol

#update #alex at the movies #movie critic #movie reviewer #movie blog #movies

[alex-at-the-movies]

Introduction Post

Okay first of all, welcome to my new blog where I will be posting reviews about movies (and maybe shows) that are both new and old. As an AMC A-list member I typically see about 3 movies a week as long as they interest me, gotta get my money’s worth after all lol. Anyways my reviews will be purely my own opinion and how I felt about the movie. For movies still in theaters I'll try to avoid spoilers, but I'll always tag anything that may spoil the movie. Some movies I'll even include my thoughts going into the movie as well as my thoughts after the movie. I may update my reviews after I let the movie sink in more or if I see it a second time, but that's really only if there's anything significant to add to it. As for other reviews and reviewers, there may be times where I criticize their evaluation of a movie or use their review as support for mine. All in all I hope you enjoy reading my thoughts on the movies I watch, especially the ones I really enjoy, now hopefully I'll be able to think of a rating system I can stick to by the time I make my next post just in case it's tldr and you'd rather just skip down to the rating.

As for the movies I will be reviewing starting tonight (depending on your time zone and if I actually feel like doing it) they are:

Cirque Du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant (2009)

Peppermint (2018)

Searching (2018)

Kin (2018)

A.X.L (2018)

Alpha (2018)

The Happytime Murders (2018)

Mile 22 (2018)

Whiteboy Rick (2018)

And many more as I think of them, don't expect any kind of regular schedule, but I'll try to post at least once a week. Ideally I'll write many of them in advance and schedule them, but that all depends on if I can find the time and focus on writing them long enough while also working on my works of fiction and any college work I have.

#movie reviewer #movie blog #movie critic #writer #cirque du freak #peppermint #searching #kin #axl #alpha #the happytime murders #mile 22 #whiteboy rick #movies #alex at the movies #alex goes to the movies #introduction #intro post #new blog