My Thoughts on "The Fault in Our Stars"

Nowadays, I'm not usually moved by films. I think I've gotten my fair share of movies that have moved me in some way and it gets increasingly difficult for the next film to beat the preceding one.

But you have got to be living under a rock if you have somehow evaded the ubiquitous buzz regarding "The Fault in Our Stars". I never read the renowned novel and had relatively low expectations except for the fact that I would cry my heart out after this. And I did.

This movie was a serious tearjerker. I have never bawled my eyes out as much as I did during this movie. Not from The Notebook, Titanic, Schindler's List, Forrest Gump, Up, The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, etc. No. TFIOS was seriously the biggest bitch of bitches for my tear ducts. I hated it. No, what am I saying? I loved every second of this masterpiece.

This wasn't some cheesy, tragic, sugarcoated, unrealistic love story. It was raw and portrayed life and cancer in such an insightful, real way. Life is not some grandeur, YOLO adventure; sometimes, you're slapped with cancer and you cannot control your fate no matter how much you want to.

I fell in love with the love story between Gus and Hazel, portrayed excellently by Ansel Elgort Shailene Woodley, and the theme of TFIOS. As promised, I cried for the whole second half of the movie. The theater workers standing near the exit definitely got some entertainment watching all the audience members exit with smeared mascara, bloodshot, watery eyes.

This film was so artfully done and had a profound effect on me. I am beyond lucky to say I have never been directly touched by someone with cancer (although I've had distant family members succumb to the disease) but I know a majority of people have. This film was beautiful and tackled on the serious subject of the disease in such a different way. Sure, there was the typical melancholy tone but John Green and Josh Boone did it in such a light-hearted, unsentimental way, it ironically emphasized the gravity of cancer. TFIOS undoubtedly touched many hearts and has cracked my top 5 movies.

If you do watch this brilliant film, I highly suggest bringing tissues with you. There won't be a dry eye in the audience by the end of this tearjerker. 

“Men at sometime were masters of their fates. / The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, / But in ourselves, that we are underlings”

Okay? Okay.

I finally watched "Frozen"

Wow, it's been around five months since my last blog post and I really have no excuses. Life just gets busy and blogging gets put on the back burner. Anyways, I recently watched "Frozen," the animated film that has taken the world by storm. So I'm going to write on my thoughts about it...teaser: Just like everybody else, I freaking loved it.

Now, I'm not a huge animation lover. The only animated films I like is Toy Story, Shrek, an Up. Everything else does not really interest me, especially princess-type movies...or so I thought.

As a disclaimer for any upcoming critiques, it is impossible to avoid hearing my peers at school hum or belt out lyrics from the several songs in the movie, whether it be the adorable "Do You Want to Build a Snowman" or the powerful "Let it Go". Some people also inadvertently spoiled the plot twists in the movie and anybody who knows me, knows I absolutely hate spoilers. It takes away a film's element of surprise which detracts from the movie as a whole. The music was also not as effective or moving on me as it could have been since I already knew most of the songs from my fellow peers. This and the spoilers made my viewing slightly less positive. Regardless, it was still an adorable movie that captured my heart with its adorable characters and catchy soundtrack.

I'm not going to summarize the plot here since I feel like you can search that up anywhere online and I do not feel like wasting time doing so. However, there really is not too much plot to the story, which was disappointing. Again, perhaps the plot twists had a more profound effect on other viewers but not me since people who spoiled it for me (I won't hold a grudge though....urgh). 

The graphics were truly amazing and I could not get over how gorgeous Anna and Elsa were. I hear all the time that boys think Elsa is "hot" and girls are jealous of Elsa. I rolled my eyes at those comments. But when I watched the movie, I completely understood. When Elsa began singing "Let it Go", I couldn't help but feel....jealous. Jealous. of. pixels. Talk about self-esteem issues. Anna was also cute in her quirky, clumsy way that mimics my own mannerisms. If I were in elementary school, I would definitely dress up as either of the sisters on Halloween.

What I found interesting was Disney's take on the overplayed "love conquers all" aspect. Walking into the theater, I knew I was going to expect some super cheesy ending where everybody lives happily ever after. Well, in a way, *spoiler alert* that did happen. However, it is usually some prince that saves everyone (true love's kiss blah blah). It was a really interesting twist to see that the 'true love' in Frozen was familial love, the sisterly bond/love between Anna and Elsa. It was refreshing and was a far less cheesier approach. Bravo, Disney.

Of course, being a romantic comedy junkie, I cannot not comment on the 'prince' character(s) of the movie. Now, the moment Kristoff walked into that cabin in the mountains covered in Eskimo-esque attire, I immediately knew I would love him. There was something mysterious and cold on the outside but I knew there was a soft, gentle guy on the inside, much more genuine than Hans (*eyeroll*). He was the perfect match for Anna and I couldn't help but feel jealous of her. Not to sound like a teenage girl or anything, but he was just so cute.

Last but not least, the cute little snowman named Olaf captured my heart. His cute "summer" song and his light yet deep quips ("Some people are worth melting for") made him so much more lovable. He and the reindeer were just as great of stars as Anna and Elsa.

Considering I'm not a fan of animation or really songs in movies, Frozen still managed to successfully captivate me. Not only that, when I came home, I immediately listened to the whole soundtrack, humming along to the great songs. I highly recommend watching it no matter what your age is.

My Opinion on Rom-Coms (mostly on movies in general though)

Throughout the years, romantic comedy movies have gained a bad reputation among critics. The audience of this genre has slowly evolved from a rather diverse age group to idealistic teenage girls. However, rom-coms weren't always known to be cheesy and unrealistic, some notable romantic comedy movies are Some Like it Hot, Pretty Woman, What Women Want, and When Harry Met Sally.  

Alright, I'll admit that I only watched two out of the four I mentioned above. And yes, I indeed fall into the group of teenage girls that enjoy this genre. Although I will be the first to admit that "chick flicks" and "rom-coms" are definitely not the best for those looking for a hardcore plot with mind-blowing acting and revolutionizing effects, there are certain aspects to the corny lines and unrealistic storyline that make them a beneficial addition to the entertainment world.

I feel that the entertainment industry's standards of creating original, suspenseful, mind-boggling, dramatic, and action-packed films have speedily progressed with the advanced technology that continues to develop into who knows what. The ludicrous comebacks of certain movies into cinemas for audiences to watch in "3D" has grown steadily in the past few years and has provided an excuse for the cast and crew to profit even more(Titanic 3D anyone? really?).

The constant demand for inventiveness has pressured many writers to throw out original motion pictures that are either a prominent success or a huge failure--most have been the latter. Even worse, the lack of creativity in the entertainment industry has resulted in numerous remakes of old movies or film adaptations of classic books.

Anyways, I'm rambling again. My point is that sometimes the audience needs a little cheesiness and an impractical romance story to balance the heaviness that accompanies the suspense and drama that seem to appear in many movies today.

Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman

Harry Potter Tag!

Read this off of Emily's Elusive Thought Bubble and because of my unwavering love for Harry Potter, I had to do it! 
Here are the questions in case anybody reading this wants to do it, be sure to comment your blog so I can read it :)
1.Favorite book ? 
2.Favorite movie?
3.Least favorite book?
4.Parts of the books/movies that made you cry ?
5.If you could be with any HP character who would it be?
6.Favorite character ?
7.What would your Patronus be?
8.If you could have the Resurrection Stone, Invisibility Cloak or the Elder Wand which one would you choose?
9What House would you be in?
10.IF you could meet any member of the cast who would it be? 
11.Have you played any of the video games?
12.IF you were on the Quiddich team which position would you play?
13. Were you happy with the ending?
14.How much does Harry Potter mean to you? 


1.Favorite book ? 
Hmm....Goblet of Fire, but Deathly Hallows is pretty close
2.Favorite movie?
Definitely Prisoner of Azkaban, but Order of Phoenix was great too
3.Least favorite book?
Most likely the first or second one
4.Parts of the books/movies that made you cry ?
The ending of both the books and movies made me cry. Like most Harry Potter fans, Dobby and Sirius's death were heart-wrenching. Snape's death in the last book also made me tear up. When Professor McGonagall called upon Hogwarts' soldiers to protect the school in the last movie, my eyes just went into ball out mode for the rest of the movie.
5.If you could be with any HP character who would it be?
Draco Malfoy. Despite his malicious ways, I know he's good on the inside...but the twins would make me laugh! Sighs. This one's tough but I guess I'll go with Oliver Wood :) haha
6.Favorite character ?
Honestly, I liked all the characters, J.K. Rowling added such dimension to them. I guess I like Ron in the books, but Neville in the movies. Actually, I really like Snape and Sirius in both too...this is way too difficult, I refuse to choose.
7.What would your Patronus be?
I've been told I look similar to a beaver, so perhaps a beaver? Maybe a fox or a cat. Or a lion. Or a PANDA. Yeah, I'm very decisive.
8.If you could have the Resurrection Stone, Invisibility Cloak or the Elder Wand which one would you choose?
Elder Wand, bringing alive ghosts scare the living s*** out of me and the Invisibility Cloak won't do me any good since I'm horrible at keeping quiet while moving around.
9. What House would you be in?
I can definitely see myself as a Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw (The former are known to be loyal and the latter are known to be clever). I'd definitely like to surround myself with those type of students. However, Pottermore did sort me into Gryffindor ;)
10.IF you could meet any member of the cast who would it be? 
Emma Watson because she seems like a lovely lady and Gary Oldman because well, he's Gary Oldman.
11.Have you played any of the video games?
Well, I did play a Harry Potter game on Gameboy Advanced before. Yes, I know, ancient. I also played this Harry Potter Spell app on my iPod.
12.IF you were on the Quiddich team which position would you play?
I had to ask my Harry Potter fanatic sister to refresh my memory about the different positions. I'd definitely choose to be Seeker because I'm horrible at defense, offensive, and goalie positions but I think I would do better while keeping my eye on the prize, such as the Snitch, even though I would be the deciding factor for my team's win or loss.
13. Were you happy with the ending?
I felt the endings in both movies and books were rushed. Although the numerous deaths were absolutely heartbreaking, I was happy with the way Rowling wrapped the series.
14.How much does Harry Potter mean to you? 
Harry Potter will always be what I consider my childhood. I still remember flying through the first four books in 3rd-4th grade and becoming obsessed with the series. I will forever be proud to have been raised in what I consider "The Harry Potter Era". 

Breaking Dawn--Part 2 Review

            It’s that time of year again. No, not when Christmas lights are hung or people are full of excitement for the impending holidays. Declarations from passionate fan girls claiming they are“Team Edward” or “Team Jacob” commences once again as “Breaking Dawn—Part 2” is released.

Not being a huge fan of the Twilight movie franchise, I had low expectations walking into the theater to watch a screening of “Breaking Dawn—Part 2.” I anticipated cheesy lines and mediocre acting, both of which were present in the previous four movies. However, I was left mildly impressed with the filming, effects, and plot of this film.

Directed by Bill Condon, “Breaking Dawn—Part 2” will be the last of the “Twilight” movies and has garnered much attention in the media. A pop culture, the series has fans ranging from teenage girls to “Twi-Moms.”

 In the beginning of the film, Bella and Edward’s constant professions of love for each other did not dispel my poor expectations. Kristen Stewart, who played Bella, showcased her egregious acting skills with emotionless facial expressions while delivering comedic or sentimental lines. The hunky actor of Jacob Black, Taylor Lautner, proved he was just that—attractive but with pitiable acting skills that were cringe worthy. The whole cast, besides the actors that played the Volturi, the ruthless, intimidating vampires, could have sharpened their acting chops. Forcing their scripted dialogue without a wide range of emotion, the actors did not convince the audience of their characters’ genuineness or acquire sympathy for the outcome of their future.

Regardless of the cast’s deplorable performances, “Breaking Dawn—Part 2” triumphs the series’ other movies. The creative opening credits, featuring dark, bloody red transforming to a delicate growth of snow, were artfully mastered. The film never became dull and had a fine balance of action and romance to satisfy the quixotic women that desire the perfect relationship that Bella and Edward exemplified along with the boyfriends or husbands of those romantics. Unfortunately, Bella and Edward’s CGI baby distracted the audience with its unnatural, morphed features. On the other hand, the animation of the werewolves was astonishingly realistic and had the potential to scare younger children. The movie was tastefully composed with the dramatic sequence of scenes and an unanticipated twist differing from the novel.

Picking up where the last movie ended, Bella’s transition to a vampire was concise as she is launched into motherhood with her newborn daughter, Renesmee. The storyline intensifies as the vampires prepare for the imminent meeting with the Volturi. The most praiseworthy moment of the movie was the well-executed conclusion that had the audience reminiscing about the last four years. As the ending credits rolled, sadness overcame the audience as soft sobs were heard for the finale of such a popular franchise.

Unlike the past movies, “Breaking Dawn—Part 2” filtered the dreary moments to produce a captivating motion picture. Although the film exhibited Bella and Edward’s eternal love for each other, it also illustrated Bella’s gradual transition from an awkward teenage girl to a mature, brave mother. In spite of the lackluster acting, “Breaking Dawn—Part 2” exceeded my expectations. Nevertheless, the film is still incomparable to critically acclaimed movies, such as “Casablanca” but conquers the other four movies of this overrated series. Catering to females in desperate need of an idealistic love story, Stephenie Meyer’s book, “Breaking Dawn,” was brought to life for all audiences with Bill Condon’s interpretation of the novel. Condon’s directing cunningly defeats the past directors’ attempts to convert the script into a crafty, pleasurable film.