‘Vampire Academy’ has surprisingly good bite
Special effects lack fangs, but star Zoey Deutch shines in this adaptation of the popular young adult novel.
Take a "Twilight" plot, stick it in a "Harry Potter" setting and add a thick glaze of self-aware sarcasm and you've just enrolled in "Vampire Academy."
From the director of "Mean Girls" and the writer of "Heathers" (as the posters are quick to remind moviegoers) this latest young adult book series to come to the screen has a ludicrous mythology and complex, chatter-heavy plotline, but it is redeemed, mostly, by a zing-heavy script and a breakout lead performance from Ellen Page-esque newcomer Zoey Deutch.
Compared to recent, similar fare like "The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones" and
"Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters," "Vampire Academy" has much more bite.
Read More of the Review at NYDailyNews
The family line for the teenage flick “Vampire Academy” may trace back to“Dracula,” but the recycling policy is strictly from “Frankenstein.” Directed by Mark Waters and written by Daniel Waters, his brother, this genre rehash takes a helping of “Harry Potter,” a measure of “Mean Girls” and elements from various teenage adventures, monster movies and queen-bee stories and recombines the borrowed parts into an unsurprisingly familiar tale. What is surprising is that while the patchwork whole creaks terribly in places, the parts also show signs of life.
Read More of the Review at NewYorkTimes
Livelier and more amusing than its studio's advance-screening ban suggested, "Vampire Academy," based on the bestselling tween book series by Richelle Mead, should largely satisfy fans of the seemingly unkillable parade of hot-young-vampire tales.
That said, this likable comedic-thriller is something of a narrative mishmash as the script by Daniel Waters ("Heathers") continually strains to explain — and then make good on — the dense ins and outs of Mead's secret society of good and bad vampires.
To that end, there are apparently three kinds of vamps: the mortal, peaceful Moroi; the Dhampirs, which are the Moroi's half-vampire/half-human guardians; and the Strigoi, your standard issue evil, undead bloodsuckers. There's more that distinguishes each tribe, particularly where the supply and demand of blood is concerned, but too much description here may only confuse what's already confusing.
Check out More of the LATimes Review HERE
I’m over the age of 12, so I’d never even heard of Vampire Academy before seeing the movie (which is based on a series of bestselling tween books I also never heard of). While not exactly proud of my ignorance, I’m owning it here in print to assure you that whether or not you’re an existing fan, you’ll probably like it – yep, Vampire Academy is a likable film.
Flaunting their fangs and flipping their hair with equal flair are vampire students and BFFs Rose Hathaway (Deutch) and Lissa Dragomir (Fry) – Rose is a Dhamphir (half-human and half-vampire) and Lissa is a Moroi (a mortal vampire). Throw a few evil, immortal bloodsuckers known as Strigoi onto campus, and the “vampire academy” becomes a school of hard knocks indeed.
The overall vibe is darkly comic, slightly teenage angsty, and a little romantic, but Vampire Academy packs plenty of punch with edgy (albeit PG-13) violence incorporating fist fights, explosions, attack dogs, and sharp-pointies including knives and vampire’s bites. The basic story of good versus evil and keeping your friends close but your enemies closer is nothing new – and while I myself won’t be racing to see it again when it’s released in theaters – I do recommend it for fans and parents.
Vampire Academy has done its homework by emulating previous graduating classes like Harry Potter, Twilight, MTV’s “Teen Wolf,” The Craft, The Covenant, et al. But extra credit goes to its writer, director, and cast. Writer Daniel Waters is known for Heathers, director Mark Waters did Mean Girls, and lead actresses Zoey Deutch and Lucy Fry are as feisty as they are feminine. There are no whiny wizards or sparkly vampires here! It’s far above the recent spate of its ilk, including The Mortal Instruments, Beautiful Creatures, and Divergent.
See More at DreadCentral
Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead has been my absolute, hands-down, favorite series since the first sentence of the first page on the first time I opened book one.
A close second would be the Beautiful Creature's series by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl. When that movie came out....I wept. Big, fat, ugly tears of despair.
Vampire Academy The Movie - will NOT be having that effect. I was concerned - excited - but concerned. Because...Beautiful Creatures...but I watched every trailer and read as many interviews as I could and felt a little bit of hope.
As I sat down in my theater seat tonight, I tried to put all hopes and fears out of my mind. It's an adaptation, changes happen, it's to be expected...right? I hand out a few VA temporary tattoo's I had gotten at a book thing, excluding the molnija mark I wore proudly on my own neck, and then...it happens. The lights dim, my date for the night and I giggle about how bright the exit signs are - and wow, there is no way you're missing the exit in that theater - and then BAM, it starts. No previews, no warm ups; just the glorious, brilliant, intricate, addictive world of Richelle Mead.
Guys. I'm not going to lie, spoiler, or sugar coat anything here, but....THEY NAILED IT. Chief concerns I had prior to the viewing:
The Waters Brothers - Mean Girls was great...but what if they turn my beloved Rose Hathaway into Catie?! What if Mia says "Fetch"!? What if it's too funny or too vampire-y or too something other than VA?
Dimitri's Hair - I know, I know, it's long in the book...but idk, maybe it's too long in the movie.
St. Vlad's - How are they ever going to find such a monstrosity of a school, yet make it familiar enough that you're pretty sure you could find the dining hall on your own??
Silver Stake - SOO DOESN'T HAPPEN YET.
Awkward Trailer Scene of Kirova's Desk - WTPoop?!
Rose. - Rose is my girl. My girl crush. My hero. My idol. I LOVE ROSE AND SO HELP ME IF YOU MESS UP HER HAIR OR HER HUMOR OR HER ANYTHING.
Read More at Bringing the Epic
Wow! Let’s just get everything out on the table right now. This movie doesn’t “suck” at entertaining. Vampire Academy is a fun movie, and a great start to a hopeful franchise! The writing was fantastic, the actors were tip top, but the movie felt very rushed at parts. If you’ve read Richelle Mead’s series, you know that the first book is an onslaught of information, and the movie felt even more of an invasion with so many facts one right after the next. My ONLY problem with the movie was the timing, yet at the same time it left me wanting more.
I had the fortunate chance to speak with Dan Waters, the screenwriter of the film. He planned to have everything flow easy, with transition scenes, thorough explanations about the different types of vampires, and especially longer cuts of the comedic sequences. However, as a writer you never have the final say. I could tell the studio cut out several scenes that might have been necessary to slow the movie down. Some of the jokes weren’t set up correctly, and the film would skip to a new scene without a transition of how the characters got there. I found myself not being able to laugh at the hilarious lines of dialogue because I would miss what was said next. It’s really such a shame the movie couldn’t breathe.
General audiences can only handle so much, especially with the recent less than stellar Young Adult adaptations, and two hours seem a little long on paper. I understand why Weinstein Company chipped away at the movie, so if it weren’t for some of the confusion and fast pace, this film would have been perfect. Yes, the timing was a problem, but the rest of the movie was a blast. If there is one thing I want to come across in this review, it’s that I have never had more faith for the future of a franchise than I have for Vampire Academy.
As Page to Premiere, we specialize in adaptations. From the very beginning of the optioning process, we all had our doubts about Vampire Academy. No one knew where this book series came from, and the title was so off putting. The books revolve around two girls already born into a world where three different types of vampires exist. Rose Hathaway, played by Zoey Deutch, is a dhampir; a half-vampire mortal with super strength whose life’s ambition and career is to protect her royal Moroi – a mortal vampire who yields magic – best friend, Lissa Dragomir (Lucy Fry). The two girls are thrown back into their academy after a year of being MIA, and things start to get a little weird around the academy. It’s a story about friendship first and foremost, and a little romance thrown in here and there, with a lot of bad ass action, high school drama, and hilarious one liners from our saucy protagonist, Rose. During the filming process, the staff members who hadn’t read the books were intrigued. I was one of those staff members, and I fell in love with Vampire Academy. As a lover of the series, I can assure the fans this movie was brilliant. It wasn’t perfect, but it was a pretty faithful adaptation. I’ve seen people for months worried about the comedy in the film, complaining that the characters looked vapid and cheesy. If it weren’t for the comedic bits here and there, the movie would crash and burn. The humor is what sets this film apart from the rest. I
Read More ( also Watch out for Spoilers**) at Page to Premiere
Grade: A-
Review by Hypable
Hello my #VAFamily !!!
On Tuesday evening I attended the Los Angeles world premiere of Vampire Academy and was able to watch the film with the stars. It was such an amazing experience, but I won’t go into detail in this post because that would just make this review way too long than it already is going to be.
Let me just start off by saying that this movie was so hilarious and entertaining throughout the whole hour and forty-five minutes of it. Rose’s lines were by far the best and had me laughing for most of the film. Don’t fret, however, that this distracts from the serious aspects of the book because even though there are lots of funny moments and one-liners, they do show the dark, ominous, and dangerous side too.
Read More at alovelikeclace (** WATCH OUT FOR SPOILERS)
Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead has been my absolute, hands-down, favorite series since the first sentence of the first page on the first time I opened book one.
A close second would be the Beautiful Creature's series by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl. When that movie came out....I wept. Big, fat, ugly tears of despair.
Vampire Academy The Movie - will NOT be having that effect. I was concerned - excited - but concerned. Because...Beautiful Creatures...but I watched every trailer and read as many interviews as I could and felt a little bit of hope.
As I sat down in my theater seat tonight, I tried to put all hopes and fears out of my mind. It's an adaptation, changes happen, it's to be expected...right? I hand out a few VA temporary tattoo's I had gotten at a book thing, excluding the molnija mark I wore proudly on my own neck, and then...it happens. The lights dim, my date for the night and I giggle about how bright the exit signs are - and wow, there is no way you're missing the exit in that theater - and then BAM, it starts. No previews, no warm ups; just the glorious, brilliant, intricate, addictive world of Richelle Mead.
Guys. I'm not going to lie, spoiler, or sugar coat anything here, but....THEY NAILED IT. Chief concerns I had prior to the viewing:
The Waters Brothers - Mean Girls was great...but what if they turn my beloved Rose Hathaway into Catie?! What if Mia says "Fetch"!? What if it's too funny or too vampire-y or too something other than VA?
Dimitri's Hair - I know, I know, it's long in the book...but idk, maybe it's too long in the movie.
St. Vlad's - How are they ever going to find such a monstrosity of a school, yet make it familiar enough that you're pretty sure you could find the dining hall on your own??
Silver Stake - SOO DOESN'T HAPPEN YET.
Awkward Trailer Scene of Kirova's Desk - WTPoop?!
Rose. - Rose is my girl. My girl crush. My hero. My idol. I LOVE ROSE AND SO HELP ME IF YOU MESS UP HER HAIR OR HER HUMOR OR HER ANYTHING.
Read More at Bringing the Epic
Wow! Let’s just get everything out on the table right now. This movie doesn’t “suck” at entertaining. Vampire Academy is a fun movie, and a great start to a hopeful franchise! The writing was fantastic, the actors were tip top, but the movie felt very rushed at parts. If you’ve read Richelle Mead’s series, you know that the first book is an onslaught of information, and the movie felt even more of an invasion with so many facts one right after the next. My ONLY problem with the movie was the timing, yet at the same time it left me wanting more.
I had the fortunate chance to speak with Dan Waters, the screenwriter of the film. He planned to have everything flow easy, with transition scenes, thorough explanations about the different types of vampires, and especially longer cuts of the comedic sequences. However, as a writer you never have the final say. I could tell the studio cut out several scenes that might have been necessary to slow the movie down. Some of the jokes weren’t set up correctly, and the film would skip to a new scene without a transition of how the characters got there. I found myself not being able to laugh at the hilarious lines of dialogue because I would miss what was said next. It’s really such a shame the movie couldn’t breathe.
General audiences can only handle so much, especially with the recent less than stellar Young Adult adaptations, and two hours seem a little long on paper. I understand why Weinstein Company chipped away at the movie, so if it weren’t for some of the confusion and fast pace, this film would have been perfect. Yes, the timing was a problem, but the rest of the movie was a blast. If there is one thing I want to come across in this review, it’s that I have never had more faith for the future of a franchise than I have for Vampire Academy.
As Page to Premiere, we specialize in adaptations. From the very beginning of the optioning process, we all had our doubts about Vampire Academy. No one knew where this book series came from, and the title was so off putting. The books revolve around two girls already born into a world where three different types of vampires exist. Rose Hathaway, played by Zoey Deutch, is a dhampir; a half-vampire mortal with super strength whose life’s ambition and career is to protect her royal Moroi – a mortal vampire who yields magic – best friend, Lissa Dragomir (Lucy Fry). The two girls are thrown back into their academy after a year of being MIA, and things start to get a little weird around the academy. It’s a story about friendship first and foremost, and a little romance thrown in here and there, with a lot of bad ass action, high school drama, and hilarious one liners from our saucy protagonist, Rose. During the filming process, the staff members who hadn’t read the books were intrigued. I was one of those staff members, and I fell in love with Vampire Academy. As a lover of the series, I can assure the fans this movie was brilliant. It wasn’t perfect, but it was a pretty faithful adaptation. I’ve seen people for months worried about the comedy in the film, complaining that the characters looked vapid and cheesy. If it weren’t for the comedic bits here and there, the movie would crash and burn. The humor is what sets this film apart from the rest. I
Read More ( also Watch out for Spoilers**) at Page to Premiere
Vampire Academy is a smart, sexy, funny movie that will not only please fans of the books but appeal to a much broader audience.
Vampire Academy definitely stays close to the source material but doesn’t take itself too serious which is something many adaptations seem to do. Readers will be pleased with the familiar dialogue and characters that seem to pop off the page. There are also added moments to help those who haven’t read the books understand the world of the Vampire Academy. They are not heavy handed in their delivery and add a new layer to the story.
The story telling done by Mark and Dan Waters brings the world of the Vampire Academy alive. No detail is overlooked and ever effort is made to relate an over three-hundred page novel in an hour and a half film. As with all good writing, the story is shown through varied layers each one revealing a little more about the inner workings of the academy. Dhampir, moroi, and strigoi are separately introduced in an interesting way that allows everyone to understand the dynamics of the world from the beginning of the story.
Zoey Deutch embodies Rose Hathaway to perfection. Much of the film rides on Deutch being able to be a loveable smart ass that has a vulnerable side and manages it with ease. Deutch is fantastic in a role that could have easily been overdone but she finds a balance that makes Rose real and likeable. Her chemistry with Danila Kozlovsky brings the Rose and Dimitri dynamic to life. Kozlovsky is both a romantic lead and action star. You believe he is Dimitri, a god like Dhampir. Many readers were concerned that there could never be a real Dimitri but Kozlovsky definitely sets out to prove them wrong.
Overall the Vampire Academy delivers in a way that many people won’t expect from the trailers that have been shown. It captures the spirit of Mean Girls with the bonus of action scenes and fangs.Vampire Academy is a rare adaptation that both sticks to the source material and tells a story everyone can enjoy. It has the potential of being the next big YA franchise, the question is will the fandom show up?
Grade: A-
Hello my #VAFamily !!!
This following post is a review of the #VAMovie which i saw yesterday at the Regal Cinemas advanced screening AND DOES ***NOT CONTAIN ANY SPOILER*** JUST MAJOR FANGIRLING! -Believe me!!! First of i will like to start with this: I’ve been a fan of these books 7 to 8 years -since the first book come out and i’ve been also supporting the movie since 2010 when they decided to make it a movie! Whatever i’ve seen so far -stills, clips, trailers have satisfied me and not even once i complained about the actors etc. Not that i’m going to now i’m just saying this because i know a lot of you aren’t “satisfied” with lots of things BUT BELIEVE ME you’ve seen nothing! All these clips, trailers, stills are nothing like the movie! All these are just the 10% of the movie -WHICH WAS/IS ten times better than I ever imagined!! I’m telling you PUT YOUR FAITH to this movie and GO see it this opening weeks because i’m telling you the movie is BEAUTIFUL! IT IS VERY BEAUTIFUL! Don’t believe me? Go see for yourself! Don’t use money as an excuse to NOT go because that’s stupid! Imagine if after all you love the movie and the movie hasn’t been succesful but you’ll left wanting more -which i guarantee you WILL happen! So USA Fans go see the movie this weekend, and give a change to these people!
ANYWAY, now comes the fangirling *YOU CAN KEEP READING THIS, IT DOES NOT CONTAIN ANY SPOILER AT ALL!* I’m gonna start of with the chemistry. The relationship and the chemistry between the main characters was MIND BLOWING and DEFINITELY SWOONY! Rose and Lissa’s friendship was portrayed SOO WELL on the big screen, excactly like it was portrayed in the book! Zoey FRICKING DEUTCH IS ROSE HATHAWAY GUYS. SHE IS! She played Rose Hathaway so well that you couldn’t tell where Zoey began and Rose ended! Rose/Dimitri’s chemistry WAS MY FAVORITE PART OF THE WHOLE MOVIE (UM DUH LUST CHARM SCENE!) I can’t even begin to explain you guys how much well portrayed their relationship was, i even believe it was better potrayed than the book! SOCKING BUT TRUE! They had me swooning and crying each time they interacted (not just me the whole theater). Danila -DON’T EVEN DOUBT OR QUESTIONING HIM EVER AGAIN BECAUSE HE IS FUCKING DIMITRI BELIKOV! HE PLAYED HIM LIKE A BOSS AND I DON’T EVEN KNOW HOW I DIDN’T END UP SCREAMING “I LOVE YOU” I’m teliing you guys -i mean ladies- PANTIES WILL DROP once you hear that BEAUTIFUL accent! ajkbdgjsdhjsdhsjdhsjhdjshdj I just… i just can’t guys… just go see it! NOW the relationship between Lissa/Christian -OH MY DAMN was so effing cute!!! A few changes were made -not important - But you won’t be dissapointed once you cee them!!! Dragozera is seriously my second OTP after Romitri! And DEAR LORD HELP US DOMINIC SHERWOOD IS A HOT BABE WITH BEAUTIFUL UNIQUE EYES!
Overall the whole movie was brilliant with smart and sassy dialogue and few funny moments (including wall licking -you all know about that right?) The end of the movie WAS THE BEST!!! I cannot wait for you guys to see it!!! I.CAN’T.WAIT!
Anyway i don’t want to spoil the movie for you guys GO SEE THE MOVIE -leave all the “they ruined my favorite book” blah blah crap because they didn’t! Richelle herself said so! If i had to rate this movie i would rate it as 8/10 JUST BECAUSE you all think i’m messing w/ you if i give it a 9 or 10! Like Richelle said the 90% of the movie is from the book and the other 10% is some background info you need to know! Go see the movie this Friday!!! You won’t regret it!
ANYWAY, now comes the fangirling *YOU CAN KEEP READING THIS, IT DOES NOT CONTAIN ANY SPOILER AT ALL!* I’m gonna start of with the chemistry. The relationship and the chemistry between the main characters was MIND BLOWING and DEFINITELY SWOONY! Rose and Lissa’s friendship was portrayed SOO WELL on the big screen, excactly like it was portrayed in the book! Zoey FRICKING DEUTCH IS ROSE HATHAWAY GUYS. SHE IS! She played Rose Hathaway so well that you couldn’t tell where Zoey began and Rose ended! Rose/Dimitri’s chemistry WAS MY FAVORITE PART OF THE WHOLE MOVIE (UM DUH LUST CHARM SCENE!) I can’t even begin to explain you guys how much well portrayed their relationship was, i even believe it was better potrayed than the book! SOCKING BUT TRUE! They had me swooning and crying each time they interacted (not just me the whole theater). Danila -DON’T EVEN DOUBT OR QUESTIONING HIM EVER AGAIN BECAUSE HE IS FUCKING DIMITRI BELIKOV! HE PLAYED HIM LIKE A BOSS AND I DON’T EVEN KNOW HOW I DIDN’T END UP SCREAMING “I LOVE YOU” I’m teliing you guys -i mean ladies- PANTIES WILL DROP once you hear that BEAUTIFUL accent! ajkbdgjsdhjsdhsjdhsjhdjshdj I just… i just can’t guys… just go see it! NOW the relationship between Lissa/Christian -OH MY DAMN was so effing cute!!! A few changes were made -not important - But you won’t be dissapointed once you cee them!!! Dragozera is seriously my second OTP after Romitri! And DEAR LORD HELP US DOMINIC SHERWOOD IS A HOT BABE WITH BEAUTIFUL UNIQUE EYES!
Overall the whole movie was brilliant with smart and sassy dialogue and few funny moments (including wall licking -you all know about that right?) The end of the movie WAS THE BEST!!! I cannot wait for you guys to see it!!! I.CAN’T.WAIT!
Anyway i don’t want to spoil the movie for you guys GO SEE THE MOVIE -leave all the “they ruined my favorite book” blah blah crap because they didn’t! Richelle herself said so! If i had to rate this movie i would rate it as 8/10 JUST BECAUSE you all think i’m messing w/ you if i give it a 9 or 10! Like Richelle said the 90% of the movie is from the book and the other 10% is some background info you need to know! Go see the movie this Friday!!! You won’t regret it!
First Review by Maddox
Is the movie a comedy?
No! I know some of the advertising really plays up the humorous side, but you have to trust me that the movie exactly matches the tone of the book: a dark, action-packed story with elements of humor and romance spliced throughout. That humor angle was played up in the ads and posters to pull in new viewers who think supernatural books/movies are dull, and it worked! We’ve seen an increase in new readers, which is awesome news. People who are worried about comedy are also worried this is “too high school.” But remember: all the angst and Russian adventure happens later in the series. This first book IS set in high school, but all the dark and serious issues are still totally there. If you watch TV, the odds are good you’ve probably seen a commercial that plays up the movie’s serious side. If not, check out these two trailers to see what I mean: Last Stand and Learn to Kill.
Is the movie true to the book?
This is the big question on everyone’s mind, and I say yes! As I watched it, I was really amazed at how many scenes they kept from the book. I expected more cutting. Some scenes go by fast (understandable with a 1:45 running time), but the moviemakers worked really hard to give at least a nod to every fan favorite scene. Here’s one of my favorites that I could watch over and over: Christian using fire magic in class.
But were changes made?
Of course. Anyone expecting a page by page translation of the book should just listen to the audio version because that’s the only way such a thing is possible. Books and movies are different mediums. You have less time in a movie, and some things that are awesome on the page aren’t so great on the screen. You also have to make sure the movie makes sense to people who’ve read the book AND to those who haven’t. That’s where a lot of adaptations go bad: they cater too much to readers only or too much to newcomers. I’m happy to say this movie hits the right balance, and all the changes made were really smart ones. There’s nothing that radically alters the main plot or characters. They make things look bigger and better and also clarify confusing issues. For me, tweaks like that are part of the adaptation process, and I actually enjoy seeing them.
How was the cast?
Um, awesome! Seriously. I’ve said from the beginning that I’ve loved the casting, and seeing them act just proved it. Every casting decision was spot on, and they were cast not just on their ability to play the character but also on how they interacted with the others. Chemistry is key in this series! Zoey IS Rose, and you’re going to have a hard time deciding which guy you love most because Danila, Dominic, and Cameron all knock it out of the park as Dimitri, Christian, and Mason. I especially love that everyone in the movie--whether they were the star or a small side role--really “got” their character. Lucy Fry, for example, read the book five times to understand Lissa. Seeing the cast bring the characters I created made me feel so emotional and reminded me why readers love those characters so much. It even made ME remember why I love those characters so much and that...gasp...maybe I want to keep writing stories about them!
Is the movie just the first book or all the books?
I’m so surprised this keeps getting asked. I can’t even fathom putting all six books into one movie. It’s just the first.
What about scenes in the trailer that appear to be radically different from the book?
I stand by my earlier statement that this is very true to the book. There are some flashbacks, dream sequences, and background scenes that were added, and seeing snippets of those is what’s confusing some people. Watch the movie. It’ll all make sense.
Are there werewolves in this?
THEY'RE PSI-HOUNDS, modeled exactly off a drawing I made for director Mark Waters.
Is there going to be a movie of Frostbite?
That depends on the success of this one! If it does well, there’ll be a sequel (and hopefully more). Part of the reason such a young cast was chosen was because everyone hopes there’ll be six more years of movies! But this one needs to do well. VA has a big following, but it’s no Harry Potter or Hunger Games. Half of those series’ fan bases could stay home, and they’d still succeed at the theater. We need our full fan base and new people at the theater to be successful, which is why the marketing team has worked so hard to pull in new viewers who don’t normally go to paranormal films.
What’s the final word?
The final word is that I’m super thrilled with the way the movie turned out, and I think you will be too. I’ve seen jaded people comment that I HAVE to say I like it, but here’s the truth: you can believe what you want, but I have a very hard time lying to you guys about things. For example, when my publishers give me covers I don’t like (yeah, it happens), I can’t bring myself to tell you I think they’re good. So, I’ll find a different positive way to spin it, like, “My publisher worked really hard on this and is so excited about it!” That’s what I’d be doing if I thought this movie was bad. Instead, I can say to you straight on that I really love it and hope you guys will as well. From cast to dialogue to breathtaking visuals, they really outdid themselves. The future of the franchise is in your hands now, so go see it! See it on opening day, and bring a bunch of friends because those opening numbers are critical. And remember, a successful first movie means we could very likely see Adrian and Eddie soon...
Richelle Mead REVIEW
Is the movie a comedy?
No! I know some of the advertising really plays up the humorous side, but you have to trust me that the movie exactly matches the tone of the book: a dark, action-packed story with elements of humor and romance spliced throughout. That humor angle was played up in the ads and posters to pull in new viewers who think supernatural books/movies are dull, and it worked! We’ve seen an increase in new readers, which is awesome news. People who are worried about comedy are also worried this is “too high school.” But remember: all the angst and Russian adventure happens later in the series. This first book IS set in high school, but all the dark and serious issues are still totally there. If you watch TV, the odds are good you’ve probably seen a commercial that plays up the movie’s serious side. If not, check out these two trailers to see what I mean: Last Stand and Learn to Kill.
Is the movie true to the book?
This is the big question on everyone’s mind, and I say yes! As I watched it, I was really amazed at how many scenes they kept from the book. I expected more cutting. Some scenes go by fast (understandable with a 1:45 running time), but the moviemakers worked really hard to give at least a nod to every fan favorite scene. Here’s one of my favorites that I could watch over and over: Christian using fire magic in class.
But were changes made?
Of course. Anyone expecting a page by page translation of the book should just listen to the audio version because that’s the only way such a thing is possible. Books and movies are different mediums. You have less time in a movie, and some things that are awesome on the page aren’t so great on the screen. You also have to make sure the movie makes sense to people who’ve read the book AND to those who haven’t. That’s where a lot of adaptations go bad: they cater too much to readers only or too much to newcomers. I’m happy to say this movie hits the right balance, and all the changes made were really smart ones. There’s nothing that radically alters the main plot or characters. They make things look bigger and better and also clarify confusing issues. For me, tweaks like that are part of the adaptation process, and I actually enjoy seeing them.
How was the cast?
Um, awesome! Seriously. I’ve said from the beginning that I’ve loved the casting, and seeing them act just proved it. Every casting decision was spot on, and they were cast not just on their ability to play the character but also on how they interacted with the others. Chemistry is key in this series! Zoey IS Rose, and you’re going to have a hard time deciding which guy you love most because Danila, Dominic, and Cameron all knock it out of the park as Dimitri, Christian, and Mason. I especially love that everyone in the movie--whether they were the star or a small side role--really “got” their character. Lucy Fry, for example, read the book five times to understand Lissa. Seeing the cast bring the characters I created made me feel so emotional and reminded me why readers love those characters so much. It even made ME remember why I love those characters so much and that...gasp...maybe I want to keep writing stories about them!
Is the movie just the first book or all the books?
I’m so surprised this keeps getting asked. I can’t even fathom putting all six books into one movie. It’s just the first.
What about scenes in the trailer that appear to be radically different from the book?
I stand by my earlier statement that this is very true to the book. There are some flashbacks, dream sequences, and background scenes that were added, and seeing snippets of those is what’s confusing some people. Watch the movie. It’ll all make sense.
Are there werewolves in this?
THEY'RE PSI-HOUNDS, modeled exactly off a drawing I made for director Mark Waters.
Is there going to be a movie of Frostbite?
That depends on the success of this one! If it does well, there’ll be a sequel (and hopefully more). Part of the reason such a young cast was chosen was because everyone hopes there’ll be six more years of movies! But this one needs to do well. VA has a big following, but it’s no Harry Potter or Hunger Games. Half of those series’ fan bases could stay home, and they’d still succeed at the theater. We need our full fan base and new people at the theater to be successful, which is why the marketing team has worked so hard to pull in new viewers who don’t normally go to paranormal films.
What’s the final word?
The final word is that I’m super thrilled with the way the movie turned out, and I think you will be too. I’ve seen jaded people comment that I HAVE to say I like it, but here’s the truth: you can believe what you want, but I have a very hard time lying to you guys about things. For example, when my publishers give me covers I don’t like (yeah, it happens), I can’t bring myself to tell you I think they’re good. So, I’ll find a different positive way to spin it, like, “My publisher worked really hard on this and is so excited about it!” That’s what I’d be doing if I thought this movie was bad. Instead, I can say to you straight on that I really love it and hope you guys will as well. From cast to dialogue to breathtaking visuals, they really outdid themselves. The future of the franchise is in your hands now, so go see it! See it on opening day, and bring a bunch of friends because those opening numbers are critical. And remember, a successful first movie means we could very likely see Adrian and Eddie soon...
Richelle Mead REVIEW
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