Snow White and the Huntsman

Hey! Okay, so I went to see Snow White and the Huntsman the other night. I thought I'd give you my opinion... *warning: this might contain spoilers*

Cast and Characters (I will focus more on the characters than the actual cast):

Snow White: 

Actress -- Kristen Stewart wouldn't have been my first pick for the role, and I personally don't think she quite did it justice, though it could very well be a scripting problem. I was wary about watching a movie with her as the star, just because I was afraid it would be too Twilight-esque. I was wrong on that particular note; of course, I could keep drawing up Twilight references from Snow White, but only because I was trying to. Kristen Stewart did a wonderful job recreating the traditional character for Snow White, and I was impressed with that. 

Character --The character of Snow White didn't develop very well. I was rather disappointed at this; one minute, she was an innocent princess, and the next she was a skilled warrior... I would have liked to see more depth to her character. There was no real transition point, nothing significant that happened to change her, apart from the apple incident from the stories. As a writer, I place a high value on character depth and development, and I am sorry to say that Snow White lacked both. 

The Huntsman: 

Actor -- Chris Hemsworth was an excellent pick, I think. He added a depth to the character of the Huntsman that I have never seen before. 

Character -- While there was more character development seen in the Huntsman than there was in Snow White, I still feel that it was lacking. There was more backstory in his tale, but it seemed almost irrelevant, until the very end. Once again, there was a notable lack in transition -- there is no real spur for his sudden feelings for Snow. The character did have more depth than Snow White -- to me, he felt more real. I was impressed with the depth, but again, character development and transition were both lacking. 

The Evil Queen:

Actress -- Clarlize Theron was the perfect Evil Queen. I loved her portrayal of the character; she made the Evil Queen seem truly evil. When she walked onto the screen, I got chills, knowing that something monumental would happen. She made the character of the Evil Queen seem far more real -- I could certainly sympathize with her character. 

Character -- The character of the Evil Queen is by far the most impressive. I really have nothing else to say; I cannot find any criticisms -- again, this is from a writer's perspective -- in the actual character.

William:

Actor: Sam Claflin did an excellent job with his character -- the classic Prince Charming.

Character: Honestly, I found William almost obsolete. He served no real purpose in the plot -- at least, not from what I could tell. It feels like the only reason he was there was to fill in the "Prince Charming" character -- who, of course, must be in the story. I wish there were more involvement. The character had no development and very little depth. I was honestly very disappointed in this character.

The effects were amazing. There's nothing more to say about that.

Now, onto the story itself. 

As I said, the characters had an extraordinary lack of development. This was a huge turn-off for me, because I feel that any good story must have character development and depth. 

It feels as if the writer(s) tried to cover too many aspects of the story, and because of that, were unable to do any of them proper justice. There was a lot of random scenery, which was breathtaking, but seemed irrelevant. There was almost always a story behind the particular site, but the story was never explained. Of course, this element increases viewer interest in most stories, but it was too constant in this one. The result for me was an irritated curiosity -- what was the purpose of the fairy grove? Why was the snow-covered forest so familiar to the characters? -- that could not be satisfied by the content of the movie. 

Another thing that continuously bugged me was the lack of romance. Romance isn't absolutely necessary in a movie for me to like it, but Snow White is historically a romantic fairytale. There were dozens of scenes where romance was hinted at, and could have been inserted perfectly, but nothing came of it. The ending was especially unsatisfying, because it didn't say "who got the girl". Each of the male leads have obvious feelings for Snow White, but nothing comes of it. 

All in all, I wouldn't recommend this movie. The plot had too many holes in it, there wasn't nearly enough romance, and there was little to no character development.

Where am I going with this?

Sorry I haven't posted anything recently! I've been busy...................

Anyway.............

This started out as a Facebook status update, but it is becoming too long and very few people will have the patience to read this while they're scrolling through their timeline, so I just decided to move it to my blog! If you're interested in writing and stuff, you might be interested in reading this. Maybe it'll get all deep and philosophical, but it's 11:30 at night, so I wouldn't hold my breath....

Haha okay, now on to the point of the post....


If you're trying to write a book, I've noticed that you don't necessarily have to know where you're going with something. Some of my best scenes have been written when I was just trying to fill up space on the page. This past chapter has been complete ad-libbed, and it is definitely one of my favorites! So to any of my writer friends out there, don't worry if it doesn't look like it's going anywhere! You can always rip the page out if it turns out to be complete garbage... Haha, just kidding... But seriously, sometimes, when I'm in one of those I-really-need-to-write-but-my-head's-just-not-in-it moods, I'll just put down words that look like they'd make sense with this particular scenario -- especially if I need filler stuff before the next big action!
Obviously, it might go wrong if that's all you do, but there's nothing bad about just seeing where the pen takes you =). You're the writer, and no matter how much complaining your characters might give you -- no matter how much they rebel against you ;p -- you do have the final word. If you're a writer, you perfectly understand what I'm saying right now. If not, then you are probably looking at the screen as if I'm insane. Who knows, maybe I am -- but you're definitely missing out, I'll tell you that.

I love being a writer. I know that God has given me this amazing gift of creativity, and I believe that it helps me to comprehend His work and His nature better. As a writer -- as a creator, really -- I can better appreciate the amazing attention that the Maker has paid to His Creation. I know I would never have the patience required to create worlds and every single one of their inhabitants! Can you imagine that? Do you think you'd be able to pay that much attention? Not me!

Anyway, thanks for reading. If you actually understood any of what was just written, then I give you my utmost props. If not, believe me, I understand why. I have no idea if I made any sense at all, but there you have it. A writer's wisdom for the day. Enjoy!

Puppies, Books, and Disney

So, yeah. It's been awhile, huh? I really am trying to be a little more consistent about this, but as you can see, I've been failing miserably. Unfortunately, it can't really be helped right now :(

Well, my dog had puppies a week ago! You should see them -- they are so cute! I can't wait until they are able to open their little eyes. Their mom is beautiful, and their dad is absolutely gorgeous! There is one puppy who looks like a Rottweiler. I'm absolutely in love with her; if we decide to keep one, she's the one I want :D

It's almost summer! I'm almost finished with senior year! No more high school! I'm still having a pretty hard time believing that I'm officially an adult! I don't feel eighteen, and I certainly don't feel like someone who's about to graduate high school!

I've been switching between reading and writing, but right now I'm on a big reading kick. So I though I would recommend some books to anyone who might care.

• Love Comes Softly is a series of at least eight books, by Janette Oke. She's a very talented writer, and she provides excellent, realistic fiction, much like Laura Ingalls Wilder. I've loved following Marty Claridge Davis and her family through the American West. 
• The Princess by Lori Wick is about an arranged marriage between a widowed prince and a young woman, Shelby. It's basically about their journey as they grow closer to each other. The writing style may drive some people crazy, but I personally found very little wrong. I would suggest it to anyone who enjoys a romance. 
• I Am Number Four is a good story, though the writing style does tend to annoy me at first. Written in the first-person present, the story follows "John Smith," one of six remaining escapees of the world of Lorien. The original nine -- each had been given a number -- were each gifted in their own way. They were meant to return to Lorien to save the planet, but three of the nine have been killed. "John" is Number Four. 
• The Hunger Games is written in the same style as I Am Number Four. The story was definitely an "edge-of-your-seat" type, but the grammar and point of view tended to distract me from the story. 
• The Lost Books series by Ted Dekker is one that I would recommend to lovers of fantasy. It doesn't follow the normal style of Ted Dekker, or so I'm told (I haven't read any of his other works, though I hear he is an exceptional writer). I love what I've read of the series -- I'm starting book 5 out of 6, I believe -- and I can't wait to finish!
• DragnKeeper Chronicles by Donita K. Paul is definitely one of my favorite series so far. The series follows Kale as she makes the transition from a lowly slave girl to a faithful follower of Paladin -- and as she grows into her legacy as the great Dragon Keeper. While the first book, DragonSpell, can be a little confusing, the series as a whole is very good. Donita K. Paul is an excellent writer, and I can't wait to get my hands on more of her work. 

I've also been feeling a strange craving for a Disney marathon. Maybe this is why I'm having such a hard time believing I'm a senior -- I will still drop whatever I'm doing when I see an opportunity to watch one of the Disney classics. And as I watch them, I'm realizing that little kids must miss a lot of the stuff in these movies! I didn't realize how creepy some of them were! I mean, there were some seriously twisted villains in these movies!
Of course, that doesn't make me like Disney any less... and it won't stop me from raising my kids on Disney!

I'm not dead... really!

Oh my goodness! I can't believe it's been so long since I've been on! Ten months, wow!
Well, I've definitely got a lot to talk about! Let's see where I should begin...
Well, I'm in driving school right now. WHICH REMINDS ME! I've got a story from that!
Okay, so I had my first driving session at Max Maxwell's. The class is at the AgriCenter, so that's where we meet up. My instructor, who is a Memphis Police Officer, loves writing us "moving citations" while he's in the car with us (they are completely hypothetical). In fact, during the past seven years, less that 10 students have gotten out of his car with zero moving citations. On my first driver's test, I drove from Harbor Town (Downtown Memphis, by the River) to the AgriCenter. I was on Union, Summer, North Parkway, and Whitestation during 5:00 rush hour. I did fine the whole time- the maneuvers I had to perform included: switching lanes, driving with a "flat tire", parking, and taking an S-curve at 40 mph, among others. I didn't get a single citation while on the road. I was starting to get a little excited- would I really be one of less than ten students to not get a single citation from this man?- when I turned into the AgriCenter. The speed limit at the AgriCenter is 20 mph. I'm going 24. First citation. Then, the lanes went from two to one, which meant I had to merge. I didn't signal. Second citation. Then, the officer got out and adjusted one of the cones, to make my parking a little more challenging. When he got back in, I didn't have him put his seat belt on. Third citation. I made it from Harbor Town to the AgriCenter during rush-hour traffic without a single "citation", but as soon as I pulled into the AgriCenter, I made my first mistake.
I think the lesson here, children, is that until you are parked and out of the car, do not let your guard down.
Most car crashes take place within one mile of home. Did you know that? Well, I can believe it.

So, yeah, that's my biggest story so far... I'll probably have more later.

Bye!!

Music Tag... WARNING

I don't know if I am going to post this or not... I'm totally playing this by ear.
I don't really know if I am tagged or not, so here goes!

Undoubtedly, there is this tag going around.  So name your top ten favorite music artists before reading the questions below.
1.) Newsboys
2.) the Band Perry
3.) Sugarland
4.) Evanescence
5.) MercyMe
6.) Francesca Battistelli
7.) Taylor Swift
8.) Celtic Woman
9.) Newsong
10.) Garth Brooks

1.) What was the fist song you ever heard by 6? Beautiful, Beautiful 
2.) What's your favorite song by 8?  Mo Ghile Mear
3.) What impact has 1 left on your life? They have really encouraged me to give God more glory than I give myself.
4.) What is your favorite lyric of 5's? Surrounded by Your glory, what will my heart feel?  Will I dance for You Jesus, or in awe of You be still, will I stand in Your presence, or to my knees will I fall, will I sing, "Hallelujah!", or will I be able to speak at all?  I can only imagine.
5.) How many times have you seen 4 live? Never
6.) What is your favorite song of 7? Long Live
7.) Is there any song of 3 that makes you sad? No
8.) What is your favorite song by 9?  Arise, My Love or This One's with Me
9.) How did you first get into 2? I heard their song Hip to My Heart on the radio and, though it wasn't my favorite of theirs, I liked her voice
10.) How did you first get into 3? I don't really know.... I've always listened to them....
11.) What is your favorite song by 4? My Immortal 
12.) How many times have you seen 9 live? 3 or 4... maybe even 5?
13.) What is a good memory concerning 10? Karaoke.
14.) Are there any songs from 8 that make you sad?  No, but a lot of them make me feel very calm and soothed.
15.) What is your favorite song of 1's? Shine or He Reigns 
16.) How did you become a fan of 10? I have just always listened to him, so I have always liked his music.


Yep, I was right =).  So, if you have read this, then TAG!  You can't get out of it now =D.  
 

Tagged... Ten Things on My Mind

So, apparently, if you read Eldra's latest post, you are officially tagged, so I have been tagged!

Here are ten things that have been on my mind recently:

1.)  Writing.  I am currently writing a story about a princess (what else?) and I am really excited about the possibilities.  So, we'll see how far it gets before I get bored...  Let's see if I can actually finish a story =)

2.)  ACT.  I just took the ACT yesterday, and I seriously think I died on the Math section... I'm not very good with numbers.  So, I'm pretty sure I bombed that portion, considering I had to guess on more than half of them.  But I think I did pretty well on the reading and grammar, and even the science! 

3.)  Violin.  I play the violin, and in my Orchestra class, we are playing Amazing Grace.  It isn't the Chris Tomlin version... it's the traditional version, the one without the cool bridge.  I mean, not that I don't like it without the cool bridge, I'm just not used to it...  It's really good =D

4.) Hymns.  Since I started playing Amazing Grace, I have had an infatuation with old hymns.  I blew the dust off of my old hymnal that my great-grandmother gave me, and just started playing out of it =).  I also have a really cool hymnal that gives you the sheet music and the history of the song, which is really cool.

5.)  Celtic Woman.  I love Celtic Woman!  Their voices are just so soothing!  I listen to them when I am writing.  I also listen to soundtracks; the music from particularly epic scenes inspires particularly epic actions for my characters to perform.

6.) Taylor Swift.  Yes, I like Taylor Swift.  No, I do not think she is the best singer in the world.  Yes, I get tired of her songs all being about more or less the same things.  Yes, I also happen to think that she is a decent singer with a pretty cool talent of writing songs about whatever she wants. 

7.) Birthdays.  I just had a birthday a few days ago (I'M SEVENTEEN!!!!).  My friend's birthday is today.  I gave her a bunch of Reeses' Pieces for her birthday.  It made her super happy, and when she is happy, it tends to be contagious.  My little brother's birthday is tomorrow, and HE IS TURNING THIRTEEN!!  My mom's birthday comes a little later, and then my sister's.  SHE IS TURNING TEN!!!! We will officially have NO MORE SINGLE-DIGITS IN OUR FAMILY! It's actually kind of scary, because unlike with Cooper and Wesley, I remember when Natalie was born.

8.) Church.  I have a friend who just moved here from Japan, and she is looking for a church.  I recommended mine, and she said she'd look into it.  Then, totally unaware of it, another friend of mine who goes to the same church as me recommended our church.  Neither of us even knew that Jessica knew both of us!  And we both recommended Christ Church to her!  That made me really excited.

9.) Art.  I have a Humanities test tomorrow, and I know all of the information, but I don't know the art... so lots of studying to do tonight and tomorrow. 

10.)  Cheetos.  I am eating a napkin full of Puff's WHITE CHEDDAR Cheetos.  They are SOOO good!  They are just a little bit addicting, and they probably aren't very healthy.  But oh, well.  Too bad, cuz they are really good!

And you have read this now.  So you're officially tagged.  Your turn!

Justification Through Faith vs. Through Faith and Good Works

I have often wondered why the Bible sometimes seems so contradictory on this matter.  In Romans, it says, "For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the Law" (Romans 3:28).  Also, in Romans 4:2-5, it says, "(2) If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about - but not before the eyes of God.  (3)What does the Scripture say? 'Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.'  (4)Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation.  (5)However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness."
However, in James, it says, "(24) You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone. (25)In this way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction?  (26)As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead."



Mental faith and full-blown faith are different.  Even the demons have faith in God.  Yeah, the demons in Hell know that God exists - but it hasn't helped them at all, has it? 
But the mental knowledge that God is God - it's just as useless.  When you choose not to act on it, it isn't really true faith. 
Christians have a different faith in Christ - kind of like, faith in action.  Not only to the acknowledge that God exists, but they give Him complete control.

This goes sort of back to when I talked about why we can't sin - when we have truly accepted Jesus Christ into out hearts, and believe without a doubt that He died so that we could have a chance to spend Eternity with Him, we have died to sin.  If sin still controls your thoughts and actions, you are not truly dead to sin.
But if you truly have Jesus Christ in your heart, then sin becomes an abomination to you.  Jesus is living in you and changing you, so that you consciously grow closer to Him.  You are aware of the existence of sin, and are appalled by it.  Naturally, you will tend to make a conscious effort not to sin.

Now, does that mean that you are never going to sin again when you are a Christian?  Absolutely not.  You are still human.  But you have comfort in the fact that you know that Jesus has paid the price for your sins, so that you have assurance. 

If you truly have faith in God, and if Jesus is truly living in you, then "good works" kind of comes natural.  As you grow closer to Jesus, it becomes more natural to do good works, and that shows when you are in public.  I think that is what James meant when he said that, "Faith without good works is dead."  Good works aren't a stipulation for salvation; rather, they are a sign that you are saved.  Does that make sense?

Forever in Christ,
Tyler Henke