Reviews by AJWyrm

TMNT IV is a side scrolling beat 'em up, and in general I think these games are pretty lame, all you do is hit the same buttons over and over again until you kill all the baddies and get the arrow that says you can advance to the right. And that's basically all this game consists of, but TMNT IV manages still to keep me playing every once in a while. It's a really great looking game, with some cool effects (I love throwing the enemies at the screen!) The turtles look great as do the environments, and the time travel aspect of this game means we get to see more variety in the levels. This game is pretty mindless, but that can be a plus when you just want to get out some aggression; I have the most fun when I hook up my Fighter Stick and can just bang away at the buttons. It makes killing foot soldiers so satisfying. Of course, it has 2 player co-op which is how most people would want to play this game.

Given that this is set in modern time and in a different culture, I was pleasantly surprised how close they managed to stay to Austen's plot. This really is Pride and Prejudice, even though the dialogue is different and there are crazy musical numbers, which I loved. I found the Indian music and costumes very enjoyable and fun; Ashanti also has a great musical performance in this film.
I'm kind of ambivalent about the actors cast to play Lizzy and Darcy. They just aren't in the same league as the other actors who have played the roles so excellently. On the upside, I loved Mr. Collins and there is a very funny performance by the nerdy sister.
I found this to be a enjoyable refreshing take on Austen's Pride and Prejudice.

I went to see this and I wasn't expecting much, so at least I wasn't disappointed. This movie follows a musical prodigy as he uses his talents to find his long-lost parents, and we watch as all the events unfold toward a big, beautiful, overly-coincidental musical climax. The characters don't have a lot of depth; I heard this described as a urban fairy tale, so I guess it is fitting, but I just didn't buy it. I thought there would at least be interesting music in this movie, but as soon as I walked out of the theatre I couldn't recall any of it. I see someone tagged this movie with tear jerker, but I certainly didn't shed any tears--it was just too over the top and cheesy for me. That being said, I didn't hate it--it's just not my particular taste.

This is a great film to add to all the great adaptations we have of Jane's work. In it, Jane is in her late 30s and dealing with her insecurities and the choices she has made in her life. Olivia Williams made a terrific Jane Austen, and I think any Austen fan looking for more would be well-advised to seek this out.

During World War II in Scotland, a boy finds a egg which turns out to be the monster of Loch Ness, so we have beautiful scenery and music in this movie. I also thought it was quite well-acted.
However, I felt it lacked in the plot department. A movie about this creature could have been so great, but this is basically just a story about a boy and the love he has with his adorable CGI animated pet and how it empowers him. You could substitute a giant mutant slug for the monster, and it would have made no difference in this movie.
It is a sweet film, and I did tear up at the (predictable) ending, but if they could have explored the Loch Ness mystery more and had more fantasy elements it would have been so much more engaging.

I really loved the movie, so I just had to read the book. It is just as excellent. I won't say that the book is better than the movie, because the movie is such a visual treat, but the book is more intricate. I loved getting to know more about Briony's mind and how she uses her writing to cope. If you love literature, you'll love this book.

This book focuses on Emma Taylor, who is dealing with her body image and her unexpected breakup with her boyfriend, all while constantly having to discuss it with her rather shallow, but perfectly nice, friends.
This book is very similar to Bridget Jones's Diary. They share a similar tone, similar characters and similar situations; I'm surprised Helen Fielding hasn't sued. Even though it is derivative and silly, I did enjoy reading it and, hey, the cover is just totally cute.

I really love Mansfield Park, as it is the only Austen novel with a timid heroine. I did enjoy this adaptation, but it really should have been so much more. It seemed like we are constantly seeing all the other characters moving the plot forward, but we never really get to know Fanny or all that she has to put up with. I was really looking forward to seeing how they were going to portray her relationship with Mary Crawford, but they barely interact at all. I enjoyed this, but I think it was because I could fill in all the parts that were missing because I have read the book. I wouldn't really recommend this to someone who hasn't.

I only read this book because I wanted to play the GBA game based on it. (Well, based on the movie, which I haven't seen.) I fully expected it to be terrible, but wow, it's sheer awfulness just blew me away. I don't think there is one original moment in this book; in every scene I can think of another book where I had seen it done before (and better) by someone else. Also, half of the book is taken up by Eragon asking questions of all the other people he meets because ,as we all know, he is just a simple farm boy, and this is the only way his creator can figure out how to explain everything that is going on in this pathetic rip-off of every fantasy book ever made. The only reason I gave this book a 2 instead of a 1 is because I am quite enjoying this GBA game. It's much more entertaining than the novel and has made me hate Eragon a little less.

I broke my 10-year stint of not going to the movies with this film. I am glad I did. The movie was beautiful, and it really affected me--I've been thinking about it for days. It's obvious from the title that it is about atonement, but it is also a romance. There is also much more to it than that, but I don't want to say what; it would give away the whole secret of the movie. I think this movie is a definite must-see.