Book Review: The Mausoleum Murder

Review: #43
Title: The Mausoleum Murder
Series: The Seven Fabulous Wonders
Author: Katherine Roberts
Read Before: yes
My Comments: This is one of the less interesting story in the series (it’s a series although they’re each independent stories), the plot isn’t as absorbing. Nevertheless it is still a good read, but even when you’re around 100 pages into the book you’re not absorbed by the storyline yet, and the whole thing just feels… uninteresting and very detached, like there’s not actually sympathy and not much is really revealed or done. As the story progresses, the suspense becomes more, and answers are started to be revealed, and some interesting answers at that. We get to know how the magic works for the main character Alexis, and it’s quite fascinating. As you near the end, you really want to know how it would all work out, as it seems either they would lose or win (the war), and what it would do to the losers, but the way it’s resolved is quite nice. The book has a nice ending and overall it’s a great book.
Rating: 6.5/10
Rereadability Factor: 5/10

The Princess and the Frog

I watched The Princess and the Frog today, the one by Disney, and although it's not that bad, I dont think it's as great a story as Tangled. The story isnt as captivating and capturing as Tangled, and the typical gradual shift of the two leads into lovers isnt as sweet and touching, it seems just like that one moment they are neutral and not caring and the other, it suddenly dawns on them that they like the other person. The eventual moment where they both realise they like each other isnt that great either, it doesnt have that heart warming/wrenching feeling.

On the musical side of things, the songs arent very, how shall I say it, doesnt seem to fit that well with the movie, it feels a bit forced (I mean, for Tangled it was a bit forced, but at least it was 'relevant' to the current scene and story, and the lyrics are way more literal and having more meaning).

It does make a nice change to watch a movie that is traditinally animated (2D) rather than the CGI that a lot of kids movie are in these days, it's weird to think that 2D had been phased out for a while in the movies, when it feels like a classic way for an animated movie to be in.

The story was nothing what I had expected, I thought it would be about a princess in a more medieval setting and meeting the frog and eventually building up a relationship so she can kiss him (kinda like Beauty and the Beast) but instead, the girl is an everyday normal person and gets turned into a frog herself (she spends most of her screentime as a frog). Interesting, but... not my taste, as such, this movie hasnt really touched me, and doesnt live up to my expectations from what I had seen of it's reviews (84% in rottentomatoes).

Many parts of the movie I do feel is a bit... too scary for kids, and somehow it's rated G, wah?! I felt Tangled was less scary (although it did have more violence in terms of fighting) and that had a PG rating, ah well, I would never understand the ratings. The Princess and the Frog has evil demon type shadows and freaky scenes, and even some slightly offensive language (for a younger audience that is), which is very very surprising. I like the ending, how because the female lead is married to the prince(they were still both frogs), she turned into a princess and hence when they kissed they turned back to human, a very nice touch. Recommended to watch if you like the classic Disney movies back then, but have to be aware that it's nowhere near as good as those nor the Pixar movies.

Pride and Prejudice

The Pride and Prejudice 2005 movie… I reckon it’s a really great adaptation of the book, I enjoyed the movie when I watched it but of course, still felt it lacking, especially compared to the book. I mean, for a movie that’s based off a book, it’s very very well done and stays true for 90% of the content, that’s a really good effort. Since a movie is more visual, it lacks the emotional attachment created for the reader/viewer that was so good in the book. Matthew Macfadyen’s portrayal of the character Mr Darcy was superb, he had both the looks and expressive features I imagined while reading the book. Keira Knightley as Elizabeth Bennet on the other hand, was a bit… weird, I didn't think she suited that role, but it’s nothing major. The pacing of the movie is a lot faster (naturally) and it skips a lot of emotional reflections, sometimes missing a point for the reader to understand. It’s not as good as I originally thought it was going to be from the reviews online (85% on rottentomatoes), as I felt I was bored by a couple of bits, but I still think it is a good movie.

Book Review: The Maze of the Beast

Review: #42
Title: The Maze of the Beast
Series: Deltora Quest - 6th book
Author: Emily Rodda
Read Before: yes
My Comments: Another great addition to the Deltora Quest series, this one is quite interesting, although it might not top The Shifting Sands or The Forest of Silence in terms of interesting monsters and facts about the world, it is still beautifully written. Looking back, it seems there really wasn't that much happening, but yet while you are reading it, you feel compelled to keep reading it to the finish and not stop. The story was really interesting, it feels like there should be a big ‘boss’ fight at the end, like it’s building up to it, since that’s where the main characters get the gem, but the way it’s resolved in most books (no fight) is still very satisfying. You don't get to know new characters that much (until either later in the series or most likely in one of the sequel series) since there is not enough pages for you to do that, it’s more like you meet them, you know who they are, ok, they’re leaving now, you only get to know the three main characters, but they’re interesting enough. A great book in a solid series, one that I would go out of my way to try and find it to read.
Rating: 7/10
Rereadability Factor: 6/10

The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor

Watched The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (aka Mummy 3), and it’s not as painful as I expected. This is the second time I had watched it, the first time I was cringing a lot, and this time I had expected what was going to happen and it wasn't as bad. The whole plot, the mummy in this movie isn’t even a mummy, the closest thing to describe it would be a zombie, and this guy somehow has all these supernatural magic powers than can practically do anything. The movie really really deviates from reality, way way more than the first two Mummy movies (which were great by the way), and it has gone too far. Particularly when they are in the snow capped mountains and the yeti comes to help them, seriously, yeti?!?!? WTF, that is just the most random, rubbish idea that I have seen in a movie, the writer of the script should be fired for even handing in such nonsense, let alone produce it. Jet Li only gets like a few lines spoken in English and it’s like a third of the movie is spoken in Mandarin with English subtitles, which is questionable at best. This movie is a big disappointment and does not live up to the franchise, I would avoid this movie, there aren't really any redeeming features, the actors’ performance is very weak, and the story is rubbish. The only part of this movie I like is the movie poster, :P.

Toy Review: Transformers Universe Starscream

Review: #6
Name: Starscream
Brand: Transformers
Allegiance: Decepticon
Line: Universe (2008)
Year of Release: 2008
Size Class: Deluxe (Wave 4)
Mold Status: minor repaint of Classics Starscream

JET MODE:

Starscream transforms into a jet that is based off the F-15 Eagle like the original toy and cartoon model. This version is a minor repaint of the original Classics toy, in colour scheme that is more accurate to the cartoon model.

He features landing gear of sorts, which are comprised of two molded front wheels that fold out and two minor lumps molded at the back. He has two null ray cannons that attach to the underside of his wings, they double up as spring loaded missile launchers, with the buttons in easy access.

The jet mode looks good from the top but there are some decently sized undercarriage kibble. That's not to mention the empty gap required for transformation under his fuselage, it's an unsightly gap and ruins the look of the plane.

Starscream is pretty much the set standard for any kind of Deluxe figure.  Above is a comparison against Generations Sky Shadow.

You can just make out the seat inside the transparent cockpit. At the time that this figure was released, this was a pretty good jet mode.  The only major flaw would be the gappy underside.

TRANSFORMATION:

Starscream has a very simple and easy transformation, you can hardly get it wrong, it's just flip wings up, fold out arms, fold in chest and extend legs. Compared to more recent toys, this is like a beginner's toy. This does make him more fun to go between the modes, but watch out for tight joints, particularly in the tailfins. The wing hinges are also a worry, as they get loose very easily over time, and feels like it might snap accidentally when you apply pressure the wrong way.

ROBOT MODE:

Starscream has a cartoon accurate robot mode, and even if you're not familiar with that medium, he looks great as a standalone robot.

Starscream's effectively kibbleless which is quite impressive.  Naturally, the wings form one of his iconic elements.

The face is painted this time around and it brings out the details much better. The white plastic is very white, creating a cleaner look. Perhaps the most annoying thing is the jet nose stuck on the back of his head, giving him somewhat like half a head.

Starscream is a little bit shorter than some Deluxes since most of the length of the jet mode is folded into his torso.

The nullrays peg onto the outside of his shoulders and form his only weapons. They are a tad bit oversized but it makes him a lot more formidable.  Compared to the Classics version, he's missing quite a bit of paint, noticeably on his shoulders and knees.

Articulation is lacking by today's standards but decent at the time. The biggest hurt is the lack of elbow swivels.  His knees are ratchets but there's only three clicks (straight, 45 degrees and 90 degrees) so they're not terribly useful.

The nullrays can be detached and held in his hands as guns, which is a nice option. It's a shame that the panels the shoulders are attached onto are held only by friction, makes posing just that bit more annoying.

This is a strong and fantastic looking robot mode that's a great update to the character.  However, the reduction in painted details does hurt.

OVERALL:

A great little toy that pretty much every fan should own at least some sort of variation of this mold (which is more than likely since this is the most repainted figure ever). This figure is a really nice and simple rendition of G1 Starscream.

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If you're interested, check out other toys reviews in the 'My Transformers' page which you can access at the top of the blog.

Book Review: Ghosthunters and the Gruesome Invincible Lightning Ghost!

Review: #41
Title: Ghosthunters and the Gruesome Invincible Lightning Ghost!Series: Ghosthunters - 2nd in series
Author: Cornelia Funke
Read Before: no
My Comments: A thin and small book, so I cannot expect much of a deep or interesting plot here. Although I do tend to find this series to be quite an enjoyable read, perfect if you’re looking for something quick. The latter books (I have already read the 3rd and 4th books in the series) are more interesting, but this one isn’t bad either. I like how the author had represented the ghosts in this way, and it’s a really fun way to see them. This book is not scary, and even though it’s supposed to be comedy, there isn’t too much that made me laugh. Story is good enough, just the typical “got a call about a ghost, turns out it’s really powerful, now we gotta catch it” style (I know I'm not in the intended audience, but I am amused by this so it’s a great job on part of the author). Only reason it got such a lot mark is because I’m starting to tighten my standards of giving the ratings, by no means a bad book, only read if you like simple stories.
Rating: 5.5/10
Rereadability Factor: 3/10 (pretty much no point rereading it)