You Again

I’ve come to like Kristen Bell in the last few years, especially after I started watching Veronica Mars.  I was interested in her new movie, You Again, after seeing previews and seeing who else is in the movie.

Marni was the target of a bully in high school that made her life miserable.  After high school, Marni made some changes and how has a successful career.  She is horrified when she learns that her older brother is marrying Joanna, the girl who bullied her in high school.  It gets worse when Joanna acts like she doesn’t know Marni.  Convinced that Joanna is wrong for her brother, Marni decides to try to stop the wedding.  Marni’s mother Gail and Joanna’s aunt Ramona went to high school together, but they haven’t seen each other in years.  It seems they have lingering issues as well.

I managed to enjoy You Again overall, though it isn’t going to appeal to everyone.  Some people will be turned off by the fact that the movie deals with bullying.  Some flashbacks are used to show what happened when Marni was in high school and some of those scenes aren’t that pleasant.  Joanna was downright cruel, which unfortunately, I think is fairly accurate with how some teenagers act.  The movie chooses to deal with the serious subject of bullying in a more humorous and lighthearted way.  That may bother some people, especially with the real life bullying incidents that have happened recently.

You Again ends up having the female characters act like unreasonable idiots with how they deal with things.  It makes sense that Marni isn’t happy about her brother marrying Joanna or the fact that Joanna acts like she doesn’t remember her.  The way that Marni chooses to deal with that makes her look like a manipulative witch.  Joanna handles things badly, deciding to make little digs to try to put Marni down instead of dealing with things like an adult.  Gail and Ramona don’t deal with their issues any better, ending up in a fight that puts them both in a swimming pool.  Instead of trying to deal with problems, the woman act like jealous idiots.  The men, even though they are in much less of the movie, are made to look like the only calm, rational people around.  At one point, Marni’s father actually sends her and her mother to their rooms.  The movie does not portray women in a good way, and that is bound to upset some people.

Even though the women act like idiots, they still manage to be entertaining.  Their antics do add some humor to You Again.  Much of the humor is more silly in nature, but I do think it manages to work overall.  There are a few really funny moments in the movie, though other things that are intended to be funny don’t really work.  The plot isn’t the most original since other movies have featured characters that have been miserable in high school.  Having Marni’s tormentor marry her brother is a bit different, but the movie is still very predictable overall.

There really isn’t much development for any of the characters in You Again.  The characters are interesting enough, though it is a bit hard to like many of them.  I did think the cast did a good job with what they had to work with.

Overall, You Again has issues, but it can be entertaining overall if it isn’t taken seriously.  Fans of the cast may find something to like about the movie.

I did get a longer review posted on Epinions.

You Again

You Again

Associated Content

I first heard about Associated Content, a website where people can post articles or reviews about all sorts of things, several years ago.  I did look at the site a bit at that point, but I didn’t join.  I’ve thought about joining off and on over the years.  As part of my effort to expand my writing a bit, I finally decided to go ahead and join Associated Content at the end of September.

I write as Marie Dragonfire as Associated Content.  I am still getting started there, so I only have three articles published at this point, with another waiting to be published.  I had hoped to have more published there by now, but an illness in my family did cut into the time I had for writing this month.  I do have ideas for more things to write about there and I want to get to where I post several new articles there a week.  I’ll probably have to work up to that, especially since I’ll be getting busier in the next several months, but that is my plan.

So far I have posted articles about a few television shows on Associated Content.  I think I will continue to do that.  I like that I can post about individual episodes or the show in general there.  I also want to try to post other entertainment type articles, probably with movies since that is what I am most comfortable writing about.  I may branch out into other things every so often, though I haven’t decided what just yet.  From what I have seen there so far, it does look like it is possible to write on just about anything there which is nice. 

Even though I have decided to join Associated Content and I hope to publish new content there regularly, I am still a member of Epinions - dragonfire88 - and have no plans to stop posting reviews there. 

Feel free to visit my Associated Content page or Epinions page.

Marie Dragonfire at Associated Content
dragonfire88 at Epinions

Naked Heat by Richard Castle

Naked Heat is the second book by Richard Castle featuring the character of Nikki Heat.  This book, along with Heat Wave, are a bit unique because they are closely tied to the tv show Castle.  Richard Castle is actually one of the main characters on the show.  After meeting detective Kate Beckett during an investigation, Rick decides to base a new character on her and gets to tag along on her cases.  So far in the show and real life, two books have been released.

The main characters in Naked Heat and Heat Wave are definitely versions of the characters in Castle and some of the situations from the books have been pulled from the episodes of the show as well.  I love that aspect of the book and think it makes it more entertaining.

Naked Heat picks up a few months after the first book ended.  Nikki and Jameson Rook, the reporter who followed her around to write an article, haven’t seen each other in a while.  Nikki is less than pleased with the article and that is why she ends the relationship they had started.  Nikki starts investigating the murder of a gossip columnist and Jameson is involved because he was working on an article about her.  Jameson convinces Nikki to let him work with her again.  While working on the case, they also deal with their issues.

The main focus of Naked Heat is the murder investigation.  The mystery in the book is interesting even though it could be a tad stronger.  There is a bit of suspense in some scenes and while a few things that happen are predictable, there are surprises as well.  Since the victim isn’t that well liked, there are a lot of suspects at first.  The case ends up a bit more complicated as more things happen. 

Nikki and Jameson are the main characters in Naked Heat.  They are clearly versions of Kate and Rick from Castle.  They are likable, interesting characters and I really enjoy reading about them.  Some of the other characters have also been based on characters from the show.  There isn’t a version of Alexis though.  Several other minor characters turn up over the course of the book through the investigation. 

Naked Heat is a very entertaining book that is worth reading, especially for fans of Castle. 

I did get a longer review posted on Epinions.

Naked Heat

Castle - The Complete Second Season

I started watching Castle in the spring of 2009 when the show began airing.  I was quickly hooked on the show and continue to watch it.  I have the first season on DVD and I picked up Castle - The Complete Second Season when it was released.

Castle is an hour long show that airs on ABC.  It is about an author, Richard Castle, who ends up tagging along with homicide detective Kate Beckett.  They first meet when someone starts killing in ways that Rick used in his different books.  Once the case is solved, Rick manages to arrange things so that he can keep going along with Kate and he intends to base a new character, police detective Nikki Heat, on her.  Kate is really annoyed, but they end up working well together.

When Castle - The Complete Second Season  starts, Rick’s book Heat Wave is about to be released.  The book actually did come out in September of 2009.  Kate is really upset with Rick during the first episode of the season, but she gets over it and they continue working together.  Every episode features a different case that Kate investigates.  Many of the murders are somewhat bizarre or twisted, like a person dressed as a vampire being stabbed with a wooden stake.  The murders do add some mystery to the show, though the mysteries aren’t overly complex.  They are highly entertaining.  Some violence turns up every so often, but it generally isn’t that graphic.  Humor is used in every episode, usually through something that Rick says or does.  I think the humor works to make things more entertaining. 

The main characters remain the same in Castle - The Complete Second Season.  The characters are definitely one of the strong points for the show and one of the reasons why it is so entertaining.  I especially love Rick’s daughter Alexis and his mother Martha.  Alexis is delightful and it is so nice to seen a teenager in a series that isn’t a brat or highly annoying.  The cast is wonderful, especially Nathan Fillion.  I started watching the show just because of him since I adored him on Firefly.  There are a few little references to Firefly during the second season.  The best one is during the Halloween episode when Rick is trying out a costume he claims is a space cowboy.  It is Mal’s outfit.

Castle - The Complete Second Season has a few interesting extras, including a blooper reel that is pretty funny.  The DVD set is great for fans of the show.

I did get a longer review posted on Epinions.

Castle - The Complete Second Season

Mork & Mindy - The Complete Third Season

Mork & Mindy is one of my favorite shows even though it has been off the air for years.  Unfortunately, the episodes don’t air on any stations and the final season still hasn’t been released on DVD.  I do have the first three seasons on DVD.  I recently watched the episodes in Mork & Mindy - The Complete Third Season.

Mork & Mindy is basically about an alien named Mork from the planet Ork.  He comes to earth to observe and makes friends with Mindy and ends up living with her.  Most of what happens in the episodes is tied to Mork learning something new about humans.  He knows more by the third season, but he still has a lot to learn. 

The fact that Mork still ends up in some rather odd situations is a big part of what makes Mork & Mindy so entertaining.  The show is hilarious and I think the humor has held up well.  I was laughing out loud during every episode when I watched this set.  Most of the humor comes from the odd things that Mork does.  This show is what really launched Robin Williams’s career.  I’ve read before that he was allowed to improvise a lot of stuff and I noticed things in almost every episode that he probably did improvise.  That works really well for the episodes and helps to make things more entertaining.

The cast changes slightly in the third season of Mork & Mindy again.  Mindy’s dad is bad more often, which I think is a good thing.  I missed him when he wasn’t around more in the second season.  Remo and Jeanie aren’t around as much, but that doesn’t bother me since they weren’t my favorite characters anyway. 

Mork & Mindy - The Complete Third Season doesn’t have any extras, which is disappointing. Despite that, the DVD set is still a must own for fans of the show.  I just wish the fourth and final season would be released.

I did get a longer review posted on Epinions.

Mork & Mindy - The Complete Third Season

The Town

I recently went to see The Town, the newest movie directed by Ben Affleck.  I really enjoyed it and do think it is one of the best movies of the year.  It is definitely worth watching.

The plot for The Town may not be the most original overall, but there are surprises here and there throughout it.  Several things happen that I didn’t expect, so I don’t think the movie is predictable at all.  The plot is interesting and ends up making for a highly entertaining movie about a group of men in a Boston neighborhood who rob banks and armored cars.  Things do get a little complicated as the movie progress.

There is a good amount of action to what happens in The Town that includes a few very well done chases.  The action scenes are done well and help to keep things interesting.  Violence does turn up in a few scenes, and some of the violence does get more graphic.  The violence might be too much for some people.  A bit of romance is added in as well through a developing relationship between two of the characters.  There are a few brief sex scenes that don’t really show much.  This isn’t a family friendly movie.

The Town is the second movie that Ben Affleck has directed.  He did a wonderful job, just like he did with Gone Baby Gone.  I think he should have a long career ahead of his as a director.  I really do believe that if he keeps making movies this good, he’ll get a best director Oscar someday.  In addition to directing, Affleck also wrote the screen play and stars in the movie.  He has gotten a lot of flack over the years for some of the movies he’s been in, but I think he has started turning that around with the roles he’s had in the last few years.  He does very well in this one.

The Town is based on the book The Prince of Thieves.  I haven’t read it, so I don’t know how close to the book the movie stays.

The Town truly is one of the best movies I’ve seen this year.  It is definitely worth seeing.  I am pretty sure that I’ll eventually add it to my movie collection.

I did get a longer review posted on Epinions.

The Town

The Big Bang Theory - The Complete Third Season

The Big Bang Theory has been one of my favorite shows since it began airing.  I was quickly hooked on it and I’ve picked up the DVD sets as they have been released.  I pre-ordered The Big Bang Theory - The Complete Third Season and I watched all the episodes in just a few days even though I’d already seen them a few times. 

The Big Bang Theory is my favorite show on now and I think it is the funniest show on as well.  I enjoy other comedies, but none are as consistently funny and entertaining as The Big Bang Theory.  Yes some of what happens is rather bizarre, but I think it works for the show and helps make things more entertaining.  Every episode makes me laugh numerous times.

The Big Bang Theory is about a group of friends, four of which are intelligent scientists and nerds.  The fifth friend is Penny, the pretty waitress living across the hall from Leonard and Sheldon.  The guys have set times to play certain video games and go to the comic book store.  They can have long conversations about movies and movie characters.  Science stuff comes up at times as well.  It sounds believable, but I have no clue how accurate it is. 

The characters are the strongest part of The Big Bang Theory.  They are all different and have their own little quirks.  That helps to make things really entertaining.  The cast is wonderful in the parts.

The Big Bang Theory - The Complete Third Season has a funny gag reel and two other extras featuring cast members that are interesting.  The DVD set is a must own for fans of the show.

I did get a longer review posted on Epinions.

The Big Bang Theory - The Complete Third Season