The first season of Anne with an E A netflix original

Welcome my dears to what promises to be a scathing review of Anne with an E. Yes scathing.
I went into this show excited, one of my favorite books was going to be a Netflix show. The first two or three episodes were great but then we take a 90° turn and not so much. Should have learned my lesson from Thirteen Reasons Why. So buckle up my friends, this is going to be a wild ride.

Casting!

The casting for this show was amazing! The characters look just like I alway picture them when I read Anne. They could not have picked a better Anne with her red hair and spunk. She's amazing. Marilla looks likes Marilla and Mathew is spot on too. 

The Plot...

I was going to break this down episode by episode, but then I realized I don't remember what happened in each episode and I refuse to watch that show again. EVER. So the fist couple of episodes were really good. Like followed the book so well only veered from the plot a little bit as expected with a page to screen adaptation. Then, then, we took a ninety degree turn and started on a whole different path. So *SPOILERS* I am going to rant about all the things that are wrong with this show in a calm manner (hopefully). To start Ruby Gillis's house never burns down. Her house is still there in the second or third book, it didn't burn down. On the subject of Ruby Gillis she and the other girls were never afraid of Anne they loved her because she was weird and had this amazing imagination. Also lets just take a moment to go to the PTA a meeting that Marilla goes to in the show?? I don't think there's even a PTA meeting in the books, ever. Where did that come from? Anne doesn't even say that much about Mr. Harmond/Thomas at all in the book much less the girls. However the scene where Anne gets Diana drunk was amazing and when she saves Minnie May from croup 😍😍. Skipping a little farther into the series, the bank is shaking and failing which happens in the book... Six years after Anne arrives at Green Gables. SIX YEARS!! Also on this subject Mathew doesn't get sick where he can't work, he dies. Has a heart attack and dies. Now on to Gilbert. I adore Gilbert, book and early show. The moment when Anne breaks her slate over Gilbert's head is one of my favorite things ever. And the show does that really well. However, a couple of things. Gilbert doesn't leave Avonlea until he goes to Queens, as a teenager like five years into the first book. Second Mrs. Blythe is alive throughout the books. At the end of the third book, she's there. Third, Mr. Blythe is also alive throughout the books. In Anne's house of Dreams (I think) he helps Gilbert get his medical practice going. So to recap, both of Gilbert's parents are alive and he never runs away. Just to mention the ending, they A) don't take in borders after Mathew dies, B) Anne is almost seventeen when Mathew dies, and C) No one ever robs Green Gables. And that's just the stuff that really bothers me.

Review

So I loved the first few episodes of this show. The rest not so much. I hate this show as much as I hate any show because of how far it goes from the books and everyone still loves it so much going on about how great it is. It takes a classic and it's name and goes so far from it's story. Yes I have heard of artistic license and that page to scene adaptations are going to be slightly different. That doesn't excuse complete changing the whole story. I am a purist when it comes to adaptations but I'm willing to go with a lot. This crosses a line in adapting books to shows and I'm sure L. M. Montgomery is rolling in her grave with the way this book has been adapted. A paw print and a whisker of ten just for the casting, that's all that saves this show from being horrible.🐾⚟⚞
Happy reading
Merlin:)

Merry Christmas!! How the Grinch Stole Christmas!

Merry Christmas!!

So today is Christmas. Which means several things, first and most importantly 2,018 years ago Jesus was born well most importantly for me being Christian maybe not for everyone this is not a place for religious discourse so I mean no offense to any one and presents. The second of which is how I stumbled upon Dr, Who quiet on purpose and not accidentally at all. But that's not what we're here to talk about. No we're here to talk about books, more specifically How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Suess. This is truly a Christmas classic ranking up there with A Christmas Carol,  The Polar Express (honestly not one of my favorites), The Gift of the Magi, and The Nutcracker. While I'm sure everyone has heard this story I'll go through everything anyway.

• The Grinch- Predictably the main character as his name is in the title. He lives just north of Whoville and hates Christmas. 
• Max- The Grinch's dog. 
• Cindy-lou Who- who was no more than two. She's the sweetest little thing. 
• Everyone else down in Whoville- the Whos. They all love Christmas. 

Ok so the story goes as follows, exactly as follows, being very simple. "Everyone down in Whoville loved Christmas a lot. The Grinch who lived just north of Whoville did not." So hating Christmas, the Grinch decides the only thing to do is "keep Christmas from coming" ie. steal Christmas. So he dresses up like Santa Clause and goes down to Whoville with Max as his reindeer. When he gets to Whoville he steals all the decorations and presents and "even the last can of Who-hash" At one house he encounters "Little Cindy-Lou Who who was not more than two" who sees him and questions him as to why he's stealing her tree. He lies and gets away with it. The next morning the Whos wake up and discover all of their decorations, food, and presents are gone. Still they celebrate gathering where their big tree would be and singing. Bada bing. Bada Boom. Grinches heart grows three sizes and he returns Christmas.

I love this story and always have. Apparently many others have too. Even after two remakes I hold true to my opinion that the first movie that follows the book to the letter is the best version. Though Benedict Cumberbatch is definitely better than Jim Carrey. I give it ten of ten paw prints. 🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾 I hope everyone had a great Christmas!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Merlin:)

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban movie

HE HAS ESCAPED!! SIRIUS BLACK HAS ESCAPED AZKABAN!
So, this is like my favorite Harry Potter movie. It holds so true to the book, its amazing. Once more movie review = SPOILERS
My least favorite things about this movie

• The very beginning. The movie just completely skips where Harry asks to go to Hogsmead. And all of Harry's gifts don't get shown. *sigh*
• Harry spends several weeks in Hogwarts not just one day. He sees Neville, and many other fellow Hogwarts students, and gets all his books. Then Ron & co along with Hermione come the day before. That's when Hermione gets Crookshanks. Also Scabbers is supposed to be sick. Ron is also supposed to be attacked by the cat. 
• The Dementor train scene bothers me too. Everyone is supposed to feel the effects of the Dementors not just Harry. Yes Harry feels it the most, but Ron, Hermione, and Neville all talk about the Dementors. 
• This particular thing bothers me in all the movies but the layout of the Great Hall. From the books what I got was that you had Slytherin Ravenclaw Hufflepuff Gryffindor. In the movies its Slytherin Ravenclaw/Hufflepuff Gryffindor Ravenclaw/Hufflepuff. G and S are on opposite sides of the hall. 
• This just bothers me for reasons. One of my very favorite quotes is from this movie "Happiness can be found in even the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.". That is one of the most Dumbledore things ever and its not even in the book. It just bothers me because I love this quote but its only in the movies. 
• They skip Christmas. Ok so Harry and Ron stay at Hogwarts for Christmas as usual. This year so few people stay for Christmas so for the Christmas feast they just have one great big table in the Great Hall and all the professors and students sit at the table. Then Trelawney comes down to the feast. And Dumbledore tells her to sit and eat with them and she says something like "No I can't because if I sit we will be a gathering of thirteen. And when thirteen dine together the first to rise is the first to die." Ya know her normal crap. Well this is home to one of the greatest bits of foreshadowing EVER. So there were only twelve people sitting at the table right? Wrong. Scabbers was in Ron's pocket. And as we all know Scabbers is the infamous Peter Petigrew. That makes thirteen people sitting and eating together. And Dumbledore is the first to rise. Dumbledore is also the first to die. 
• They gloss over Ron and Hermione's fight over Scabbers and Crookshanks. But thats not the worst part. No they also take out where Ron works tirelessly to help Hagrid defend Buckbeak. But worst of all, They remove so of the best dialogue. Chapter Nine, Grim Defeat Snape calls Hermione an insufferable know-it-all. And Ron who constantly calls Hermione a know-it-all defends her saying “You asked us a question and she knows the answer! Why ask if you don’t want to be told?” In the movie he doesn't, no no he says "He's right you know."
• Another small problem that I can understand is that they only have Buckbeak in the movie when in the books there are three hippogriffs. 

So I know that's a lot for this to be my favorite movie and really close to the book, but I nitpicked this movie, soooo much just because I love it so. If I had to pick a Harry movie for someone to watch and they were only going to watch this one, and no matter how much they loved it they would never watch another Harry movie, this would be it. Definitely watch it. Nine of Ten paw-prints (which is the highest I'll ever give a movie-book adaptation).🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾

Watch out for Dementors

Merlin:)

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets Movie

"Let me introduce you to your new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher: Me. Gilderoy Lockhart, Order of Merlin, Third Class; Honorary member of the Dark Force Defense League and five time winer... of Witch Weekly's Most Charming Smile award. But I don't talk about that. I didn't get rid of the Bandon banshee by smiling at him"-Gilderoy Lockhart
Ok so I was going to start with Parseltounge but I couldn't figure out how to write in Parseltounge so I figure a Lockhart quote would be just as good. Forewarning there are SPOILERS in this review. 
This movie follows the book fairly well. As in basically every book to movie adaptation ever, there are a few small errors and things left out. 
My top problems:

• The beginning bothers me because it leaves out a little with Harry having to do yard work.
• The degnoming scene got left out, which yeah isn't that big of a deal but I love that part in the book so I wish it was in the movie.
• Harry doesn't really give Ginny his books in the movie. In the book Harry gives Ginny his Lockhart books because he knows how expensive they are and he has plenty of money and its kinda sweet and cute that he gives his to Ron's family. 
• Lucius and Arthur don't get into a fight. That part really bothers me. Lucius insults his family and then he doesn't actually get to fight him? I think they handled that very well though. 
• You miss Lockhart being really vapid and not taking them to class like he's supposed to and then Harry and Ron go visit Hermione. 
• The Deathday party. Does that not being in the movie bother anyone else? I mean I get why they didn't include it with all the CGI they'd have to have and all but substituting detention with Lockhart just bothers me. I mean he did get detention with Lockhart but he has detention before that. 
• Lockhart's detention. So Harry does indeed have detention with Lockhart for being late and crashing into the Whomping Willow, which will from now on be WW. And he does hear voices. However, Lockhart doesn't show up outside the bathroom where they find Mrs. Norris. No that is after the DEATHDAY PARTY^^.
• The complete absence of Penelope Clearwater as a character. I mean she gets petrified with Hermione and is Percy's gf. 
• Also Ginny loses a bit in the translation to movie. Not much but you never see her get pale and jumpy and try to tell everybody about Percy and Penelope.

So those are my biggest problems with the movie, yes the scene in the forrest bothers me a little but it isn't one of the worst parts. I give it seven of ten paw-prints🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾 It's a definite need to watch. I love it because it's Harry even with its flaws.

Always look around corners,

Merlin:)

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire movie

Ah the Goblet of Fire. Or Harry Potter and the Year Nobody Got a Haircut. Or HP and the Goblet of Flowing Locks. This one is pretty good, there are problems, as to be expected but it's pretty good. SPOILERS
My big problems

• The beginning. Ok so one of the best parts of the entire book is when Harry gets a letter, in the Muggle post, for the Dursleys from Mrs. Weasley. All but one square inch is covered in stamps. It infuriates the Dursleys. Not in the movie. Harry's power move intimidating the Dursleys with Sirius. Not in the movie. Sirius' tropical birds. Not in the movie. All of Harry's food gifts from Ron and Hermione because Dudley is dieting. NOT IN THE MOVIE. 
• We never get to see the Weasleys come and get Harry from the Dursley's in the movie. In the book they get stuck in the Dursley's fireplace, they being Mr. Weasley, Fred, George, and Ron. Mr. Weasley blows out the wall of the fireplace to get out. Naturally this disturbs the Dursleys. Then Fred and George give Dudley a tongue-ton-toffee that makes Dudley's tongue swell up and grow. I love it.  
• Sadly we only see Harry waking up in the Burrow and Hermione is there. But she just got there. Um no Hermione is already there when Harry gets there from the Dursleys.
• At the Cup apparently, they're in the cheap seats, but the cheap seats are like nosebleed section. But in quiddich the higher up you are the better. Also Ludo was up there along with Crouch, well where he's supposed to be.That leads me to my next point. 
• After the Cup, the deatheaters show up. In the book they like have muggles levitating in the air and are lighting things on fire. Only the fire happens in the movie. And when the Dark Mark is created you actually see Crouch jr. (Who is played by David Tennant) instead of Winky in the bushes with Harry's wand. 
• Back to the Cup though, in the movie you don't get to see Fudge and the Bulgarian minister having communication issues, and you miss some of the best dialogue. 
  • “Vell, ve fought bravely,” said a gloomy voice behind Harry. He looked around; it was the Bulgarian Minister of Magic.
  • “You can speak English!” said Fudge, sounding outraged. “And you’ve been letting me mime everything all day!”
  • “Vell, it vos very funny,” said the Bulgarian minister, shrugging.”
• You also miss the Leprechauns and Veela, but lots of CGI would be needed for that so I can forgive leaving that out.
• Time constraints also cut out the camping with Bill, Percy, and Charlie who all com the the Cup. But I find it very hard to forgive leaving out Bill and Charlie Weasley. And Fred and George's bet with Ludo. Ireland wins but Krum gets the Snitch. 
• Lots of other little things are left out too. Like Fred and George threatening Bagman because he won't/can't give them their money. And Harry splitting Cedric's bag so that he can tell him about the dragons.
• Also, Malfoy & co made the Potter Stinks badges.
• Furthermore, and this really bothers me, Beauxbatons and Durmstrang are both Co-Ed. As in Flamel himslef is a Beauxbatons alumnus and the first head teacher of Durmstrang was a woman.
• Harry's dragon in the first task doesn't ever leave the spot that it started at, unlike in the movie where the Dragon dies. 
• Second task, Harry gets there first yes, and the Cedric. But he spends a fair amount of time trying to rescue the other people. As in He spent so long trying to save everybody that if Cedric finished first in over an hour, then he was definitely over an hour by a lot. You also had more creatures. 
• Third task sooo much is missing. Like all the magical creatures, Blast-Ended Screwts, the Sphinx. And then Harry saves Cedric from an Acromantantula, and THEN they go, you take it, no you take it until they decide to both take it at the same time.
• When they get back to the school, there's more reaction to Cedric being dead. And then Moody takes Harry and that's when Dumbledore knows that he's not Moody.
• Also can we take a minute to talk about the casting of Lily and James. They're supposed to be 21. TWENTY-ONE!! Not as old as they're cast.
• Also, Harry tried to give Cedric's family the money he won, but they said no. So instead he gives it to Fred and George. With the condition that they buy Ron new robes. Which they do.
• Worst for last. Right after Harry gets picked to be in the Triwizard Tournament, all the heads of school, the minister, and Ludo come back to talk to Harry. They're all yelling at Harry and then “Did you put your name into the Goblet of Fire, Harry?” he asked calmly." That's Dumbledore. and please direct your attention to the adverb of how he said it. CALMLY!!!!!!!  In the movie he spins Snape out of the way. Pushes Minnie into a wall. And then
  

Even though they do all this wrong, this movie has one of the best lines ever. It's the scene where Ron's robes come in the mail and Harry sees them and then goes "Is there a bonnet? There is." It's the most Harry line in all the movies.

I enjoy this movie soo much. Definitely watch it. six of seven paw-prints🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾

Constant Vigilance!

Merlin:)

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone Movie

Welcome to Hogwarts, again
So all my movie reviews are going to be full of SPOILERS because I need to compare them to the books. Therefore, if you haven't read the book or watched the movie and don't want to know what happens don't read my movie reviews.
All in all this movie is done really well and does the book justice. There are somethings that get left out but there are time constraints and the first movie in the series so the budget wasn't as high. The casting makes me so happy with these movies, even though Rupert isn't tall and gangly like Ron they are their characters. HPSS is definitely not the worst movie but it's not my favorite either. The parts with Harry's letter is wrong and they leave out some of the most fun in Diagon Alley. One of my biggest complaints is that Hagrid goes off and gets Hedwig for Harry rather than Harry picking her out. It also irritates me that Harry doesn't go to Madam Malkin's and meet Draco. Honestly though this is one of the better movies.
This is one of my favorite movies Harry Potter wise. If you've read the book you should watch the movie. I give it eight of ten paw-prints. 🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾🐾
Happy Watching,
Merlin:)

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by J.K. Rowling (but not really), John Tiffany, and Jack Thorne SPOILER FILLED

Hello my dears,
So I'm trying something new. This brilliant idea came from my friend CA. This review is for you CA. This is a complement to my non spoiler review of The Cursed Child and is full of SPOILERS and just basically a rant about the atrocity of The Cursed Child. So I'm not going to tell about characters so to get a feel for them read my non spoiler filled review .
Ok this play was written not by J.K. as we have been led to believe but by Jack Thorne, which honestly explains a lot. I mean first of all Harry James Potter who his whole life just wanted a family would not tell his son "Some times I wish you weren't my son. No just no. But more importantly the plot just didn't make sense. Delphi who is some how Voldemort and Belatrix's daughter, wants to bring Cedric back because according to this prophecy that will allow Voldemort to win the Battle of Hogwarts??? Yeah that is confusing and then you add time travel into the mix to make it all possible and it gets crazy. But there is one major problems here. Cedric Diggory would never become a death-eater and definitely not because he was humiliated. But the AUs that happen with time travel are hilarious. But don't forget that Scorpius is also rumored to be Voldemort's son. The rumor is that Draco and Astoria couldn't have a child and so the Malfoy's sent Astoria back in time to have a child with Voldemort. And so at one point because he and Albus are having problems because Harry is sooo out of character rather than use his influential position in the ministry and as the Boy Who Lived to dispel this rumor Harry investigates it because he and Malfoy can't get along at all. But they go back in time several times and at one point in a present day AU Hermione didn't go to the Yule Ball with Krum and so never got together with Ron and Ron married Padma??? After they successfully bring Cedric back for Amos, because they think that they're just bringing back a sad old man's son, Albus doesn't exist, Hermione and Ron never got together, Scorpius is the King of Hogwarts, its Voldemort day, and the salute "For Voldemort and Valor" OMG. But best of all Snape's alive. How you ask. Well I don't know. Honestly this breaks so many laws of time travel. All Cedric did was kill Neville before he could kill Nagini, which wouldn't keep Snape alive. But somehow he's alive in a way the defies all logic. Then everybody goes back in time and Harry gave Albus this blanket in the present day "normal", I use this word lightly, universe and love potion got spilled on it and then they write a message on the blanket by putting some kind of ingredient on it that reacts with the love potion and Harry, Draco, Ron, and Hermione all end up in Godric's Hollow the night Lily and James died. Harry turns in to Voldemort to fool Delphi and save the world because he can speak Parseltongue. It's complicated. However the best parts are when Albus has to kiss Hermione because he's disguised as Ron to steal a time-turner from the Ministry, and the past when Scorpius sees Bathilda  Bagshot and says "Wow. Squeak. My geekness is a-quivering". And no squeak is not a stage direction. All in all this play was horrible but hilarious. Definitely my least favorite book.
Hope you enjoyed this,
Merlin:)