Book Review: Matched by Ally Condie

Title: Matched
Author: Ally Condie
Pages: 366
Cover: Paperback
ISBN: 978-0-141-33478-3


Plot: Cassia lives in a world of analysis. Where everything you do is predicted for you, including your profession, who you will marry and even when you will die. When Cassia is “matched” with her best friend, she couldn’t be happier, who wouldn’t be happy to be matched with someone that you already know? But, then her entire world begins to unravel. What if she was meant to be with someone else?

Two reasons to read "Matched"

The Ideas: Stories of dystopia have been popular for a long time, ranging from 1984 to Blade Runner, and one of the predominant reasons behind their popularity is down to the raw ideas of the future that these novels and films are able to conjure up. And “Matched” is no different. The ideas are intriguing, because on the surface they sound so perfect: how nice is to know that you are destined to be with one person, without the fear of having to find them? But, then underneath that nice thought is the realisation of everything that comes with it, including the lack of free choice, and for most of us, that isn’t a nice thought.

One for the Girls: The problem with a vast majority of dystopian novels is that they tend to be very science fiction based, which is widely aimed at a more male audience. Similar to “The Time Travelers Wife”, however, being the girls version of a time-travel novel, “Matched” is the uncomplicated girls equivalent of the dystopian novel. This makes it a much easier subject to approach, because typically we’re not necessarily interested in the nitty gritty of how this all came about, we just want a good story damn it!

Two reasons not to read "Matched"

Plot: I read this book purely on the fact that the ideas were similar to the love triangle in Hunger Games, and so soon after finishing the Hunger Games books, I was keen to see how another author would tackle the idea, especially set in a vaguely similar dystopian world. Unfortunately, I wish I hadn't bothered, because plot-wise "Matched" didn't stand a chance. The funny thing is that I'm not just saying that because I love The Hunger Games book so much, because I think that even if I'd read this first, I'd still have disliked it. 

The plot is boring, to say the least. Despite events occurring, nothing ever really happens and it just plods along like Eeyore trying to battle against blustery winds. Ultimately, I just felt like it was a load of really good ideas, loosely linked together into minor plot-points that weren't focused on deeply enough for my liking.

Characters: For me, characters are practically as important as the plot. Without characters that are likable or at least a little bit relatable, then I'm just not interested. Development wise, Cassia makes Bella Swan a great deal more likable, and even (yes, I'm going to say this), Cassia makes Bella look like less of a drip!! 

And the problem with the other major character (Ky if you wanted to know!!) is that I never felt like I knew anything about him. I didn't know who the hell he was, or why Cassia became so obsessed with him. Okay, I know the reason that the story gave (which I won't reveal for anyone who wants to read the book!), but you don't just fall in love with a person for no reason. You have to find something appealing about them surely, but I just never got a sense of that out of Cassia. And as a result, I really couldn't sympathise with Ky's "situation".

Overall: I think that "Matched" is a great book for younger teenage girls, looking for something different. But, as a whole, I felt like Condie had missed out on a great opportunity for a brilliant piece of fiction. It's full of ideas, but no substance, which is unfortunately, far too common in novels aimed at this age-group. If J.K. Rowling, Suzanne Collins, Phillip Pullman et al can manage to write incredible fantasy-based literature for the young adult audience, then I see no reason why others can't!

Regarding the books sequel "Crossed", I'm vaguely intrigued to see where Condie will take the story, but having read reviews, I think that I'll follow my initial gut instinct and not bother to torture myself.

Hunger Games Casting Hit or Miss

Yesterday I promised that I would share my opinion on the all important casting for the upcoming Hunger Games films. Having read the books, in the knowledge of who has been cast, I am probably in a very different position to most fans, who have read the books conjured up this image of each character in their heads, and then been forced to accept the castings. I actually checked out the casting when I was roughly half way through the first book, and initially I had huge reservations about some choices, but I'll share my thoughts anyway :)

Katniss Everdeen

Initial Thoughts: It's difficult to say what my initial thoughts regarding what Katniss would look like, are, because even before I started reading the trilogy, I knew who had been cast in the role, purely because I'm one of those film nuts, who has to know what other films actors have done, and since I'd recently seen her in X Men, I already knew that Jennifer Lawrence had been cast in the lead role for this film.

Jennifer Lawrence: On initial appearances, Lawrence doesn't entirely fit the bill, but only because she is more commonly known to be blonde, and I pictured Katniss is being dark-haired. But, as we have seen from the recent posters and teasers, anyone can dye their hair, and she most definitely looks the part.

But, the main reason that I have immense confidence in Lawrence, in playing this role well, was seeing her play Mystique in X Men: First Class, because Mystique showed quite a few personality traits that I felt were perfect for the role of Katniss.

• Feisty


• Passionate


• An innate ability to listen to something, take it in, and then do as she damn pleases


• Vulnerability

What you might know her from:

• Raven/Mystique in X Men: First Class


• Ree in Winters Bone


• Norah in The Beaver

At one point I worried that she wouldn't have any chemistry with her co-star playing Peeta, but then I remembered the unusual chemistry between her and Nicholas Hoult's character in X Men, and I felt a lot different about it.

Peeta Mellark

Initial Thoughts: My first thought of Peeta was of this incredibly vulnerable guy, who I didn't imagine to be that strong, and he was probably a bit geeky looking, especially compared to the character of Gale, who I imagined to be the cooler one.

Josh Hutcherson: The first time I ever encountered Hutcherson in a film, I'd say he was about ten years old, and even though I've seen him in a fair few things since then, I still imagine him as this really young kid, who I could not imagine in this role at all. I'm not saying that I didn't like him as an actor, I just questioned his suitability to the role.

Of course, I've deliberately chosen a picture of him looking really young, but I just wanted to emphasise where I was coming from, and seeing this picture just makes him look like a younger brother. And yes, I know he's older now, but this is the Hutcherson that I had in my head whilst reading the books.

It wasn't until I saw the front cover of Entertainment Weekly, which showed a. how grown up he now is, and b. how beefed up he's gotten for the role, that I really began to see Hutcherson perfectly in this role.

I know that my initial thoughts were that Peeta would be weak and skinny, but Chris pointed out the fact that Peeta is a Baker's son who probably spent his days hefting flour bags all over the place, and kneading dough must do a lot for your arms, so it's no surprise that he would be "well-built". It also made me question why I'd considered him, especially in the first book, to be a vulnerable character, but without giving anything away, I've definitely seen Peeta in a very different light.

What you might know him from: 

• Carl in RV


• Jess in Bridge to Terabithia


• Markl (voice) in Howl's Moving Castle (I LOVE this film!!)


• Walter in Zathura

Gale Hawthorne

Initial Thoughts: Being a hunter, and in effect, the breadwinner of his family, I always imagined that Gale would be well-built and tough. He definitely came across, to me, as a fighter who could most definitely stand up for himself. This is perhaps more evident in the second and third books.

Unfortunately, his brief appearance in the first book didn't really give me much opportunity to get a good idea of what he would look like, until I found out who had been cast, and I started imagining him in the role!

Liam Hemsworth: You might be able to guess from his surname, but playing Gale is the little brother of Thor himself, Chris Hemsworth, although I personally don't think that they look anything alike at all. However, the idea that he is Chris' little brother left me in no doubt, in my own mind, that he was the perfect casting.

Personally, I haven't seen Liam in anything, so I can't judge his acting ability, but on appearances alone, he is definitely a good choice. I'm just going to hope that he has his brother's talent for acting too.

What you might know him from:

• Being the younger brother of Chris Hemsworth (Home and Away, Thor, Star Trek) of course


• Dating Miley Cyrus (I think you probably have a good idea who she is!!!)


• Josh Taylor in Neighbours (I had to do research into this character, and I still have no idea who he is. I assume that I wasn't watching Neighbours when he was in it, as I did miss a lot of the show, when it moved over to Channel 5!)

So, as you might be able to tell, despite initial reservations, I am feeling quite satisfied with the main three castings, but we'll have to wait until trailers start filtering around, to get a better idea of how they are going to perform.

What do you think of these three castings? Do you think they were the right choice, or do you think other actors might have been better suited?

Hungry for the Hunger Games

For the past month, I've been reading the Hunger Games trilogy, and to say that I am hooked to these amazing books, is an understatement. I don't even know where to begin, but I do have to say that I am so excited about the upcoming film, and I can not wait until March 2012!!

As you can imagine, I've been on complete overdrive trying to find every little detail I can about the casting and images of them. I'll come to my thoughts on the castings another time, but I wanted to share some of the images that I've managed to find amongst the barrage of fantasty fan fiction-type images.

Teaser Posters:

The only issues that I have with these Katniss posters, is the fact that her hair is all wrong for me. The character was renowned for having this long braid, so her hair being down isn't quite right for me, but I still think that she look absolutely fantastic.

Casting:

 This is more what I'd expected Katniss to look like, with her long braid :D

One word for both of the boys: Yum!

Screen Shots:

The screen shots don't give away that much about the overall feel of the film, but the give enough away to just satisfy a need to know more.

Film Review: Sucker Punch

Starring: Emily Browning, Jena Malone, Vanessa Hudgens, Abbie Cornish, Jamie Chung.

Certificate: 12A

Info: I went in to watch this film with very little prior knowledge of it. All I knew was that it was about a young girl who goes into a fantasy world to escape and conquer the events going on in the real world.

My initial thought was that it was going to be very similar to "Pan's Labyrinth".

The film looks incredibly stylish, in a similar way to Sin City and 300.

Plot: In the Real World, 20-year-old "Babydoll" (Browning) has just lost her mother, and in order to claim their money, Babydoll's step father has framed her for the death of her own younger sister. Sent to an Insane Asylum, Babydoll's world crumbles into that of a Brothel, in which she befriends SweetPea (Cornish), her younger sister Rocket (Malone), Amber (Chung) and Blondie (Hudgens), work concoct a plan to escape the clutches of their boss "Blue".

In order to collect the five things needed to escape, Babydoll must dance in order to distract them, throughout which she falls into various worlds, where she and her friends must hunt out the five items.

Can they find the first four items in time, and can Babydoll figure out what the elusive fifth item actually is?

Thoughts: Sucker Punch has received a great deal of negativity from critics, who have branded it "erotic" and "sexist". But, personally, I think the critics are missing the point.

On one level, of course the film is sexist, but only in the way that Babydoll and Co. are forced to dress and act. Nevertheless, you have to remember that the characters are being forced to dress like this, in order to survive in a vicious place. These young and attractive girls, in the Brothel World, are ultimately being objectified by a group of middle-aged men, and how is this any different to the men in the real world who go out and buy Lad's Mags or visit strip clubs?

On another level, the film is about how these girls use the one thing that these men want from them, against them, in order to escape and to beat them. In my opinion, this is empowering and shows that women are smarter than this particular type of male thinks that they are. It shows that women can and will defend themselves whenever they need to.

A couple of reviewers have compared the film to several video games, including Final fantasy, and as a self-confessed Final Fantasy fan-girl, I really have to agree with that idea, and I definitely feel that the likeness to video games is the exact reason why I enjoyed the film as much as I did.

Visuals: Sucker Punch is visually stunning, especially during the battle sequences with Steam Punk imagery and incredible action scenes, that you really can't fault, because they were fast-paced and looked incredible. But, from a film that boasts graphic novel, video game and steampunk elements you wouldn't expect anything less!

Casting: Personally, I thought Emily Browning was great in Lemony Snicket, so it was nice to see her move into an oddly similar, in the sense of quirkiness, film. Her casting seems perfect, because she pays the cute innocence of Babydoll so perfectly.

The only film that I have seen Jena Malone in, is Donnie Darko, and it is fair to say that Rocket was absolutely nothing like the character she portrayed in that. Rocket wasn't an amazing character, but Malone did a fair job.

Being a big hater of the High School Musical films, I expected very little from Vanessa Hudgens, so it is with a little chagrin that I confess to being impressed with her acting skills in Sucker Punch. I would say it's fair to say that Hudgens has proven herself to be a potential all-rounder in a way Zac Efron has really failed in.

Jamie Chung and Abbie Cornish were complete unknowns to me, but they both performed well.

Overall: Sucker Punch was not what I expected at all, but I can definitely tell that this is going to be a really Marmite type of film, and I know that no matter what I say, the critics will never be brought round to liking this film.

It was smarter than a lot of the critics seem to think it was, and the fact that I couldn't predict the ending put it in great stead with me.

But, the reason I know I liked this film is because it passed my "coke" test:

I always buy a large coke whenever I go to the cinema, I'm not really sure why, but I just always do, and if I still have a large amount left, then I judge that I liked the film, because I was too drawn into it, to drink the coke. However, if I finish the drink a long time before the film has even finished, then I consider that the film bored me that I remembered my drink to try and quell the boredom.

And yes, I did have coke left when Sucker Punch finished!

Being Human, Series 3, Episode 1 *Potential Spoilers*

I have to confess that I haven't really been a fan since Day One with this one, not that I didn't like it, but because I just didn't watch the first series during it's original run. In fact, I caught a random episode two or three episodes intot he second running of the first series, and thought "ooh, I remember seeing the trailers on BBC3 for this, and thinking it sounded interesting", but of course when I'd originally seen the advert, they tend to advertise things as "coming soon", and unless I'm specifically looking out for them, they often pass me by! And this one evidently did. But, I ended up catching up on what I'd missed, and luckily only had a couple of months to wait before the second series began in January last year.

I also have to confess, that after the awesome first series of Being Human, I found 90% of the second series a bit of a let down. The series was only really saved, for me, by a very good last episode, and I strongly feel that if I hadn't been drawn in by what had happened to Annie, I'm not convinced that I would have watched this new third series.

But, of course, you really want to hear about the third season, of which, for anyone who hasn't watched it yet, I won't reveal too many spoilers, although some are just unavoidable. I do, however, want to talk about Lacey Turner.

Lacey Turner was in the media recently talking about how nervous she was about moving into new material, following her previous role in Eastenders, playing Stacey Slater. Did she have anything to worry about? Well, I had faith in her, and I'm really glad to say that she did herself proud. She has firmly stepped away from Stacey, and proven what an amazing young talent she is.

Lacey played Lia, the title character of this opening episode. And knowing that Lacey was playing Lia I was instantly intrigued as to what importance she was going to hold over Mitchell. I won't give that away, but I do have to say that she played it very well, although you could never tell if she was playing games with him, or was just overall loopy! But, all is eventually revealed!

Other notable guest appearances, included Robson Green (Soldier, Soldier) playing werewolf McNair and the fabulous Paul Kaye (Dennis Pennis) as a slightly bonkers Vampire.

As usual, it was George bringing in most of the laughs, as he finds himself accidentally arrested and accused of "dogging" (oh, the absolute irony of that one!). As much as I like the character of Nina, I sometimes can't help wishing that she wasn't such a central character. In my head, the three mains are Mitchell, George and Annie, but Nina appears to have been included, and I'm not sure if I like that very much!

Mitchell's role in this episode was predominantly to bring Annie back from the Afterlife, or whatever you want to call it. Without giving too much away, I personally thought that Mitchell managed to save Annie far too easily, because I'd expected it to play a bit of a larger role in this series, but unfortunately it didn't, which was a little but of a let-down.

Overall, I'm much more hopeful for this series to be better than the second one, and I'm very interested to see what is going to happen with Robson Green's character!

Final Fantasy XIII-2: Square Enix Release Teaser Trailer

Square Enix seem determined to build-up early interest in this game, don't they, now that they have released a very short teaser trailer. 

In all honesty, I feel a little dirty watching it, because I haven't finished Final Fantasy XIII, and am nowhere near finishing it. But, then again I still haven't completed Final Fantasy X, but I've completed Final Fantasy X-2, and I never completed Kingdom Hearts, but I have completed the second one!!

Anyway, here's the teaser trailer for your perusal.

What do you guys think? Will you be buying it when it comes out?

**Ironically, as I was writing up this blog, Memories of Happier Days, from the Final Fantasy XIII soundtrack came up on my MP3 player!!**

Film Review: 9

Starring: Elijah Wood, Christopher Plummer, Martin Landau, Jennifer Connelly, Crispin Glover, John C Reilly
Certificate: 12

Info: For a film not actually directed by Tim Burton, this film still manages to actually ooze the fact that Burton was involved. It's incredible that this story didn't even come out of Burton's mind, because it has the look and feel of many of Burton's fantasy-based films and book (anyone who has had the pleasure of reading Burton's "The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy & Other Stories" will know exactly what I'm talking about!)

Plot: Inspired by a short film that Director Shane Acker developed six years ago, "9" is the alternative interpretation of what would happen if man-made machines took over the world! As the film's tagline goes "when our world ended their mission began", because although the machines have wiped out the human race, the future of the world is in the hands of nine little creatures. But who are they? Where did they come from? And, how come they have been able to survive?

Thoughts: "9" is a beautifully crafted and very quirky film, that you can just tell has been passed over by those of us who are more familiar with what Pixar and DreamWorks have to offer us. Some could say that making the film was quite daring, but it's also likely that most people who have seen this film, have only really watched it because of the Tim Burton tag attached to it. Which is fair enough, because as I just pointed out, it's one of those darker animated films that most people aren't interested in, until a big name is tagged on.To be fair, I only picked up this film because it was being sold for £5 in Tesco, but other than a few random bus posters, I don't remember seeing that much publicity for this film, which I have to say, is a big shame!

Visuals: Visually, "9" is very stunning to watch. As a  big video game geek, I have to admit that I have been very spoilt when it comes to graphics, which is predominantly down to the fact that I am a Final Fantasy geek. Final Fantasy, as any fan will know has probably the best graphics in all RPG games. So, it's fair to say that I have very high expectations when it comes to graphics.

I was also incredibly impressed with how realistic the movements of the characters were.

Casting: I have to admit that I'm not really a fan of Elijah Wood, which is why I was relieved that most of the actors (including Wood) didn't really sound like themselves. In fact, we spent half the film trying to guess which actor was playing which role.

Elijah Wood and Jennifer Connelly were both easy, and we'd guessed before the film had even started.

Crispin Glover was an easy guess, but luckily we pinned that one, despite the fact that we realised that we didn't know what Glover's voice actually sounds like (and the fact that I spent the first 20 minutes getting Glover mixed up with Sam Rockwell, in my head!!)

John C Reilly was a guess, but again a good one.

Christopher Plummer and Martin Landau were the real challenge, and we kept changing our minds over who was "1" and which one was "2". We eventually got so confused, that I can't even remember if we got it right or not!

Overall: The plot was interesting, albeit a little confusing at times, but definitely worth a look by anyone who loves a dark, fantasy-based film!