(This is a post I wrote about two months ago, but for some reason didn't publish until now)
It's Official: I Am Way Cooler Than You By, Like, A Lot

Last Saturday afternoon I was invited to a special pre-screening of a mystery movie. I would tell you how I was invited, but I'm not going to. Let's just say I'm awesome and I've got connections. Regardless, ALL I was told was that this movie was going to be a surprise to everyone, that it will be released later this summer, and that it is going to be rated PG.

Of course I spent much of the week leading up to the screening wondering what the movie could possibly be. I had my hopes (third Pirates movie?! third Shrek movie?!) and I had my fears (Fantastic Four: The More Action Figures to Sell Movie), but I was pretty sure they wouldn't keep the "The Nancy Drew Movie" a secret. Who wouldn't want to see that movie? When it goes straight to video? And will be in the bargain bin a few weeks later?

At any rate, the screening was scheduled for 4 PM with a check-in at 3:15. I was told to show up a little earlier than that, like 3, but I honestly didn't know how long it would take for me to get there... so I showed up early. WAY early. The fifth person in line--behind people related to one of the organizers and in front of a family of another organizer--early. My friends Evan and Lainie met me early enough that I wasn't standing around like a moron by myself (for very long). We were given passes (after telling them our ages) and ushered upstairs around 3:45. Waiting for us in front of the theatre was a bag-check station and two security people with metal detectors. No, they weren't looking for weapons (thank God! that would have been awkward... I don't know what I would have done in the theatre without my gat strapped!)... they were looking for recording devices and, yes, even camera phones (I'll just record an entire movie on my camera phone... perfect sound and picture clarity... right).

After making it through the check-point, the three of us were still one of the first groups into the theatre, and we had our choice of seats. I felt like we had perfect seats: majority of the screen at eye-level or below, middle of the row, far enough back not to be blown away by the sound.

The crowd filed in and time passed. LOTS of time passed. The 4 o'clock start time must have been a suggestion rather than a set schedule. The crowd began to get a little restless, and I noticed a lot of the people decided to send a representative from their group to get snacks (which is what we ended up doing). But eventually the crowd seemed settled, everyone was snack-ified, and a middle-aged gentleman grabbed a microphone and proceeded to speak excitedly into it. "Thank you all for coming out today," he started. "You are one of the first groups of people in the country to see..."

What do you think it was? Oh, if only I could make it that easy for you. I want you to beg for it. No! Don't just scroll down! Oh fine! I'm not exactly sure if I can say the title. I CAN say that I saw the fifth movie in a seven-part series, and that I anxiously await the seventh book which is coming out this summer. Yes, that's right. I saw THAT movie!

Anyone who has read the books knows how frustrating, dark, and annoying the fifth book in the series is. I have even heard a couple of people argue that they should have stopped making movies after the fourth one... citing the DARK and adult (not like that) tones of the fifth and sixth books.

It should be noted, then, that this movie has a much lighter tone than the book. While the reader follows the protagonist as he feels isolated and frustrated throughout the book... there isn't time, and there isn't a tone to the movie that allows the observer the same level of frustration and anger. The fifth book in the series is the longest (actually by far) in the series and, as such, the book has a LOT of plot to cram into the Hollywood friendly movie-time restrictions. The depth the book goes into is NOT there in this movie... but, perhaps for this book, that's a good thing.

This book includes a new character who wields a lot of power in the world of our heroes... and she is easily the character I hate the most in the entire series. She forces the hero to feel alone and frustrated at every turn--hiding her pure, malicious evil behind a false smile--and even tortures our hero at one point. There is no one in the book series who I would rather see die than her. Having said that, I actually really enjoy the performance by the actress who plays this character. She's, oddly enough, almost funny in the role. And, with that situation controlled in the movie, it's a lot easier for me to not be so angry and frustrated watching the movie as I was reading the book.

While not all of the special effects are finished yet (imagine a "wand battle" with two actors just holding sticks at each other... exciting? No. Hilarious? Yes), I can already tell that the final battle of the movie between the powers of good and evil should be cool.

Will I go see this movie again? You betcha! And I actually recommend it to all those haters who (like myself) would rather not read the fifth book in this series ever again. I might actually re-read the book so long as I can implant the actors into my mental picture as I'm reading along.

Yes, regardless, all the fans of this series should please go see this movie in July when it comes out. I don't think you'll be disappointed... particularly if you hated the book (like I kind of did), you'll be pleasantly surprised by the movie.