15 December 2005

Over and Under

On Tuesday night I watched The Chronicles of Narnia at the cinema and it exceeded my expectations. I read the book earlier just so I can compare how well it translates to screen, and I have to say it is Very Good. I think it is a better film adaptation than any of the Harry Potter movies. It might have something to do with the fact that The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe is only 80 pages versus The Goblet of Fire's 700+, but I think all the first-time actors in Narnia expressed their emotions very well. Compared to the book, the screenwriters have wisely edited some scenes to make it more suspenseful and it worked out very well - and most reviewers agree.

And tonight I watched the highly-rated 40 Year Old Virgin, starring Steve Carell. As the title suggests, it is the story of how Andy, an old virgin, tries to lose his virginity with the help of his wacky friends. I was expecting it to be really good because most romantic comedies suck nowadays, so it is a surprise to see it being rated so highly. Some even say it is better than "There's Something About Mary", which is a bold statement. Alas, it was not to be. I didn't find myself laughing my guts out at any point. In fact, it was more awkward because I watched it with Dad. I don't think it deserved all the praises it got.

So, while one movie exceeded my expectations, the other didn't even come near it.

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