I saw an advance screening of the flick tonight. The only reason I went and saw it was because my buddy had a free screening pass for 2, and it's a free screening. I remember reading the book and not being very impressed, however I can't say I can pinpoint exactly what's been left out since I had forgotten most of it. Not sure if I even care now that I've seen both ends of the spectrum.
Caruso tries a lot to hide the book's flaws, and he really does try hard. But somehow he only makes them more obvious. I'll admit there was tonnes of action and good special effects, but really, when the story wasn't stealing from other sci-fi (Animorphs, Johnny Mnemonic, Superman- there's even an insulting John Carpenter's The Thing nod too), it was overloading the audience's brain with Clichés that can be found in almost any teen movie... ever. And some gigantic plot holes you could drive a tanker through.
The action scenes I nearly left the cinema they were so bad. It's like Caruso told the camera crew to zoom in really close while holding the camera and shake it all about, shine flashlights in the camera lens, and move it violently when some gets punched. Shaky Camera and quick cutting must die, I'm tired of it.
The soundtrack was so bombastic and over the top. At times it sounds like the boom mic is being banged against the inside of a 50 gallon drum. At others it's like they're attacking their strings as fast as they can really fast. The film's opening score piece over the panning shot is especially insulting- it doesn't help that it lasts a minute long and the cue's buildup is hilarious.
I know the movie is based on a book, but with even that said, there is a tonne of clichés. Hot chick who loves photography? Check. New kid is instantly buds with the nerd? Check. Douchebag jock who loves the hot chick? Check. Kid finds out he has powers he can't control? Check. evil villain are following kid and guardian? Check. Kid's guardian dies and he must do the mission without him? Check.
There's also an annoying homo-erotic undercurrent between Sam and "John". Also, don't get me started on the Thirty-Sue pileup that is Number 6.
For every cliché, there's a gigantic plot hole. Why isn't the grocery clerk suspicious of an alien with a hoodie and sunglasses buying a crap load of turkeys? How is "John" unable to control his powers in class yet able to control them perfectly in his backyard a matter of hours later? Why do the Mogadorian(!!!!) speak with Jamaican accents? How is the dog able to become all super-dog all of a sudden? Why are Lorien so perfectly humanoid with a true lack of alien qualities? And how do Lorien copulate? Yeah, let's not go there, because the last thing this film needs is a Lorien sex scene.
Caruso tries a lot to hide the book's flaws, and he really does try hard. But somehow he only makes them more obvious. I'll admit there was tonnes of action and good special effects, but really, when the story wasn't stealing from other sci-fi (Animorphs, Johnny Mnemonic, Superman- there's even an insulting John Carpenter's The Thing nod too), it was overloading the audience's brain with Clichés that can be found in almost any teen movie... ever. And some gigantic plot holes you could drive a tanker through.
The action scenes I nearly left the cinema they were so bad. It's like Caruso told the camera crew to zoom in really close while holding the camera and shake it all about, shine flashlights in the camera lens, and move it violently when some gets punched. Shaky Camera and quick cutting must die, I'm tired of it.
The soundtrack was so bombastic and over the top. At times it sounds like the boom mic is being banged against the inside of a 50 gallon drum. At others it's like they're attacking their strings as fast as they can really fast. The film's opening score piece over the panning shot is especially insulting- it doesn't help that it lasts a minute long and the cue's buildup is hilarious.
I know the movie is based on a book, but with even that said, there is a tonne of clichés. Hot chick who loves photography? Check. New kid is instantly buds with the nerd? Check. Douchebag jock who loves the hot chick? Check. Kid finds out he has powers he can't control? Check. evil villain are following kid and guardian? Check. Kid's guardian dies and he must do the mission without him? Check.
There's also an annoying homo-erotic undercurrent between Sam and "John". Also, don't get me started on the Thirty-Sue pileup that is Number 6.
For every cliché, there's a gigantic plot hole. Why isn't the grocery clerk suspicious of an alien with a hoodie and sunglasses buying a crap load of turkeys? How is "John" unable to control his powers in class yet able to control them perfectly in his backyard a matter of hours later? Why do the Mogadorian(!!!!) speak with Jamaican accents? How is the dog able to become all super-dog all of a sudden? Why are Lorien so perfectly humanoid with a true lack of alien qualities? And how do Lorien copulate? Yeah, let's not go there, because the last thing this film needs is a Lorien sex scene.