Welcome to the Ides of March. Since we've had a few "off-beat" columns recently, I figured I'd return to a little bit of normalcy.
This month, we'll be taking on the movie "Jumper," along with the novel "The Walking," by Bentley Little.
"Jumper" is based on a book by Steven Gould, depicting the tale of a man named David Rice who acquires the ability to teleport. Through this, he makes a living robbing banks from the inside, until he's met by somebody determined to kill him.
From there, it goes on his relationship with his high school crush, and the war against those out to get him.
The first thing that set me off of this movie was Samuel L. Jackson's hair. I know, it seems weird, but the truth is that the white hair made it really hard to pay attention to the actual acting. Still, it was an enjoyable film.
What I really enjoyed about this film was the fact that they had it right. It was pretty well-thought-out.
They made it so that when the person teleported somewhere, there would be movement of air to fill in where they were and where they appeared, like it seems it would happen in real life.
The plot was somewhat predictable, though it did have a moment I didn't expect, which I'll leave you to find out for yourself.
As for the acting, I found it superb. For the manner of film, it was all natural. Everything clicked, and seemed to portray the general feeling.
The only exception to this would be the star of the film, Hayden Christensen. For some strange reason, it seemed that he could only portray one emotion at once. I thought to myself, "Is he the son of a brick wall?" He lacked any real emotion, and I found that to be what set the film to a negative point.
Great cinematography values, brilliant acting on almost everybody's behalf, and an entertainment value make "Jumper" a movie worthy of praise, but not of deification.
I'd give it 8 out of 10 stars.
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Next up, we have a book I stumbled across at the library. Now, it's an older book, published back in 2000, but I saw that the author had won several Bram Stoker Awards. In addition, the book had remarkable feedback, including praise from Stephen King and Dean Koontz, which impressed me. So, I gave it a read. The guy is good.
"The Walking," by Bentley Little, seems like a book of zombies at first. The essential plot is of the dead walking across the country to an unknown place. From there, we see that it's not just that, though, as different factors are thrown in, making an outcome that was truly genius.
Little's style of writing is nothing short of perfect. His detail is flawless, depicting what is needed to, and leaving out the stuff that you couldn't care about. Maybe it was that that made the book enjoyable, and hard to put down. Additionally, you understood his characters. You could understand why they did what they did, even if they weren't a major character. That's tricky to do, but he managed it.
The only thing I didn't care for with this book would be the fact that, much like Dracula, it had its climax about two pages from the end of the book. I don't know why I didn't care for that, but I think that I really enjoy it when there's a sense of resolution to a story. Without it, the story feels like a water balloon. You fill it up so much, it pops, and you can't do anything with it.
Because I enjoyed the concept of the book, as well as the author's writing style and structure, I'm giving Bentley Little's "The Walking" a 71/2 out of 10 stars.
That's pretty much it for me this month. Nothing else good in theaters, so it seemed. Next month, I'll be checking out Stephen King's new novel, "Duma Key." As for what else, I'm not sure. Maybe I'll check out "Superhero Movie," or try to find a new CD release for you. Until next time, long days and pleasant nights to all.
Adam Munio is a junior at Unadilla Valley Central School.
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