Avatar December 19, 2009

The season of worthy movies is beginning, with some of the year’s biggest films hitting box offices in the coming weeks. I already made my list of what I like to call a ‘Must See ASAP’ and first on it? Avatar.

Clearly, the hype for this movie has been unprecedented, as it marks James Cameron’s major return to the big screen. His last large-scale directorial effort was known as a little movie called Titanic. Never heard of it? Look it up. What Cameron was known for in Titanic translates directly into the heart of Avatar: big special effects that not only radiate, but leave you with a sore jaw from its continued dropping. From the opening credits to the last frame, this film dazzles with its technicolor creation.

Avatar takes place on the planet Pandora in the year 2154. U.S. military forces have inhabited the planet, hoping to not only learn more about it, but to also mine a rare mineral found there worth millions of dollars. The inhabitants of this planet range from tiny, multi-colored lightening bugs, to enormous four-eyed, multi-horned rhinoceros-like creatures. Pandora’s equivalents of a human race come in the form of Na’vi, a tribe of tall, blue-skinned, loincloth-wearing creatures who look similar to humans, but have the ability to leap and climb as lithely as tree dwellers.

Neytiri, one of Na'vi species

In order to win the Na’vi over and infiltrate their clan, the humans have created the Avatar program, where a human uses a pod-like device to create a state of subconsciousness in order to enter a Na’vi host body. Once they have fused their mind with a Na’vi body, they essentially can become one of the Na’vi…that is, until the pod is opened and they are brought back. Then, their host body falls to the ground, rendered useless until its human counterpart enters it once again.

Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), who is confined to a wheel chair, is the newest recruit to the Avatar program. When he enters his host body, he is able to use his legs again. And boy, does he use them. Seemingly fearless, Jake tackles Pandora’s fiercest animals the minute he touches down on the planet. Soon, he meets Neytiri (Zoë Saldana) who teaches him how take full advantage of his new chiseled, lean and agile body.

This movie continues in a fashion that is eerily reminiscent of Pocahontas. Jake (a.k.a. John Smith) is at first skeptical of Pandora and its riches..but then starts to understand all that it has to offer and falls for Neytiri. Next, the humans want to take over Pandora and exploit its resources and their leader, Colonel Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang) has a clear intent: he wants to wipe out all that is valuable to the Na’vi, including -get this- their Tree of Souls. Starting to see the resemblance?

Other cast members include Sigourney Weaver as a sharp-mouthed, passionate scientist spearheading the Na’vi conservationist efforts, Michelle Rodriguez as the resident rebellious bad-ass, and Giovanni Ribisi as the comical, yet unrelenting, director of the program.

To put it simply, Avatar is mesmerizing. The consortium of colors and wildlife overwhelm; you simply don’t know where to look. Where the film really comes alive is when night falls and the ground glows and neon insects hum about. The constellation-like freckles on the Na’vi’s faces and their brilliant blue hue is magnified by this and the effect is dazzling. Furthermore, the action scenes are just as impressive. Cameron’s hiatus was well worth it once you see his finished product.

The only thing that Cameron asks of his audience is simple acceptance. Like other sci-fi movies, you truly must accept what you’re seeing, accept that these creatures can coexist on such a planet, or the film will be lost on you. Sure, there are some times where you can’t help but scoff, like when Jake, in his human form, strokes the face of Neytiri, but other than that, the overall experience depends on believing. If you don’t, then the whole movie will not translate.

Overall, Avatar is a sensory experience. The action, romance and adventure pale in comparison to the rush of  color and movement filling the screen. While the plot could be less convoluted and slightly more convincing, the thrill of this new world will be enough to leave you wanting more. Already nominated for four Golden Globes, including Best Director and Best Motion Picture-Drama, Avatar is guaranteed to make you want to book a one-way ticket to Pandora.

If I had a hammer… December 14, 2009

Hi, everyone. Before we begin, let me address two things:

1. I know, I know. I’ve been off the map for what feels like months. Years, even. Your life was a littler darker without me, perhaps? Did you wander around in a daze trying to figure out what to do without my voice in your head? Forgive me, please. A small thing I like to call finals (insert groaning here) got in the way and I had to buckle down and plow through them before I could return to you. But I’m back now, just in time for the holiday season. Which brings me to #2…

2. Hopefully you noticed the snow falling at the top of your page? No, this is not your imagination and no, snow is not falling on top of your Apple. I worked some magic and got snow to fall to get everyone ready for the holidays. So don’t be alarmed. Rather, enjoy the ambience of it.

So enough jabbering, let’s get down to business. While most of my fellow classmates spent their Sunday holed up in some dark, dusty corner of the library drowning themselves in Starbucks and refreshing Facebook 30 times in one minute in order to evade studying, my day started off with a bang…err, should I say hammer?

I spent yesterday building a house. But not just any house, the newest house to be chosen by ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. The family chosen was Tobin and Jill Wagstaff and their four children: Dallas, 5; Rudy, 6; Tobin James, 7; and Jolene, 4. The family runs a nonprofit music school in Gainesville, but has been struggling to make ends meet.

I arrived at 11:45 a.m. and was given a hard hat and blue shirt with instructions to wear both at all times. The site was pretty chaotic. Yards had been taken over, trailers and barricades lined the streets and camera crews weaved through saws and ladders. Luckily, my shift was on day 6 of the build, so the house was essentially finished, save for painting and moving furniture in, so I got to see most of the finished product.

My first duty as volunteer was to line one of the rooms with paper so painting could be finished. As I’m doing this, who walks in? Ty Pennington himself. The first thing I noticed was not his good looks, but rather his height. Believe it or not, he’s pretty short. To top it all off, he actually filmed a segment of the show with me in the background, which was pretty cool.

Ty Pennington giving instructions on how to finish the studio

Sorry for the quality of the picture. We weren’t allowed to have cameras, so I had to snap this one from my phone. After finishing up my lining, I was sent to the paint tent. I spent about three hours in there, under the direction of Didiayer Snyder, another one of the designers. I helped paint one of the wall unit’s for one of the kids’ rooms and also some furnishings for the master bedroom.

After my hands and  arms were covered in paint, I headed back towards the house, just in time to see the UF marching band parade down the street. The procession was quite a scene. Headed by our mascots Albert and Alberta, it also consisted of the UF men’s basketball team, our cheerleaders, members of the football team and Billy Donovan, the head basketball coach. As the parade came to a halt in front of the house, the designers, Ty, Didiayer, Paul DiMeo and Eduardo Xol ran out. See below for photo.

Extreme Makeover: Home Edition designers Ty Pennington, Didiayer Snyder, Eduardo Xol and Paul DiMeo

After the brouhaha ended, I got back to work. This time, positioning myself in an assembly line leading from a large truck into the house in order to transport the family’s clothes. After that, it was on to the furniture. Everything was brand new and everything was beautiful. If you watch the show, it truly is an accurate depiction of what goes on. In the six hours I spent there, people were working relentlessly, shouting orders through headphones and directing people in order to get everything in its proper place. When the sun started to set, the spotlights went on, illuminating the site in order to ensure maximum productivity throughout the night. Spectators came and went throughout the day, not only hoping to get a glimpse of Ty on the roof, but also to support their neighbors and friends that were working around the clock on this project. Although I was unable to stay to see the “Move that Bus” moment today, I know there was no possible way that the Wagstaff family couldn’t have been in awe of their new home. Rumor has it that the episode will air in February, but check out The Gainesville Sun’s photos of the reveal to hold you over until then. As for me, I’m still sore from the painting and lifting, but it was more than worth it to spend the day helping out this deserving family.

I want to be a part of it…. November 26, 2009

It’s Thanksgiving morning!  Ovens are heating and turkey carving is put on hold as television sets all over America switch on to watch The 83rd Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. This Turkey Day event is stuffed with performances and floats meant to showcase America’s favorite performers, as well as shamelessly plug host-channel NBC’s own stars. Case in point- they cut the cast of Glee’s performance once NBC execs realized that they would be promoting a competing channel.

Anyway, I digress. Here are some of my favorite moments of this year’s parade, as well as some that I could have done without:

• Highlight- the digital aerial map that took those of us not too familiar with the NYC grid through the 2.5-mile parade route. Great way to make those sitting at home feel like they are in the midst of the action.
• Low Point- Cyndi Lauper’s performance on top of a giant pink castle. Her hot-pink,tinged mohawk hair hardly seemed appropriate or necessary when she is performing with several young girls below her.
• Highlight- The Broadway cast of Hair kicking off the show with “Aquarius.” Maybe those oblivious Americans who hadn’t yet had the privilege of watching this Tony-award winning cast perform will finally realize what they’ve been missing.
• Highlight- the New Jersey Nets dance-off between kids and seniors. Even though their performance was only about 45 seconds, it was by far the most heartwarming performance of the show.
• Low Point- Jane Krakowski’s singing some hokey Christmas song on an even hokier float that served absolutely zero purpose other than to plug her hit show, 30 Rock.
• Undecided- While the Yo Gabba Gabba performance quite frankly creeped me out, my 7-and-8-year old cousins took this as an opportunity to jump and dance in unison.
• Highlight- Jimmy Fallon and The Roots performing a medley of Christmas songs atop a huge electric guitar. It looked like Fallon was having the time of his life. My favorite performance of the morning.

Need something to do while the turkey’s in the over? Keep NBC on to check out The National Dog Show. Happy Turkey Day, everyone!

We now interrupt our regularly scheduled programming… November 25, 2009

To my loyal readers,

While I would love all of my fellow entertainment fiends out in the blogosphere to think that my life is chock-full of entertainment 24/7…there are other tasks at hand that need tending to, which, to my dismay, occupy the time that would otherwise be spent writing rants and raves for all of you. So, I figured that it might be a good idea to let you peek in to my interests (albeit miniscule) outside of the entertainment realm. Here we go!

I LOVE:

• staying in when it’s raining
• driving with the windows down
• sarcasm
• memorizing lyrics
• Deer Park sports water bottles
• sleeping with lots of pillows
• taking Body Pump at the gym
• grammar

I HATE:

• when my road rage gets the best of me
• eating chocolate without milk
• not being able to fall asleep
• long waits at restaurants
• doing laundry
• feeling uninformed
• when something I’ve liked for a long time suddenly blows up…like Twilight. Posers.
• not being in town for a concert I want to go to

So that’s a bit about me, readers. Clearly a life without entertainment is no life at all, but hey, call me multi-dimensional. Furthermore, I encourage all of you to share what your life is like when you’re not burying your nose in the latest news. Don’t be shy…speak up!

I extend my deepest apologies if my out-of-the-ordinary post threw you for a loop. And now back to your regularly scheduled programming.

American Music Awards November 23, 2009

Hi all…blogging live right now from my couch as my apartment and I gather to watch the American Music Awards at the Nokia Theater in L.A. No one really watches these awards to see who wins, but rather to watch how the performers will try and outdo each other. We sit at the edge of our seats, biting our nails, to see what outrageous get-up GaGa will wear, if Whitney can make her comeback and how Rihanna will fare in her first live performance in months. So far we have witnessed a dazzling Kelly Clarkson perform, “Already Gone,” a Single Ladies-eqsue performance by Shakira, a Janet Jackson throwback, as well as performances from Keith Urban, Daughtry and Jay-Z and Alicia Keys. There’s many more coming, so let’s get started!

8:58- Black Eyes Peas hit the stage to perform “Meet Me Halfway” and “I Gotta Feeling.” To be honest, I’m not loving Fergie’s darker hair, but her over-the-knee boots are pretty sick. No sign of Josh Duhamel yet…Alright, they just transitioned to “Boom Boom Pow” where these robotic-like dancers are swaying in the background, which is kind of creeping out. Jeez, Fergie has some serious vocal chords…if this place had windows, I think they might have shattered at this point. You go, girl…show Josh what he’s missing.

9:05- Michael Jackson just wins the award for best Soul/R&B Male Artist. Accepting the award is his brother Jermaine. Accompanied by his sons, he’s keeping it short and sweet, which is probably smart considering how many more times I would guess Jermaine will be back on that stage tonight accepting awards.

9:11- I’m having issues with the fact that there are only three nominations for each category. That hardly seems fair. Hmph. And where is Lady GaGa? I miss her.

9:14- Beyonce just wins for Soul/R&B Female artist. BUT SHE’S NOT HERE. Why, Beyonce, why?

9:15- Rihanna time! The opening screen shot of a madhouse/asylum thingy is creeping me out. But so does her first single, so I shouldn’t be surprised.  Alright, she’s hooked up to some rotating device and she has metal spikes attached to her arms. Is this in case Chris Brown shows up?  This is like Rihanna meets Tim Burton. And I am not loving this song. The audience has a collective ‘WTF?” look on their faces. I’m confused. And uncomfortable.

9:25-Carrie Underwood on now. She’s got a lot of backup dancers, which is unusual for her performances. This song has a serious bad-girl vibe to it…and I kinda like it.

9:27- LADY GAGA IS PERFORMING. I HAVE ONLY BEEN WAITING FOR THIS ALL NIGHT! I love her too much to botch the description of the chaos she is causing, so check out the jaw-dropping performance yourself. DO IT. 

9:40-  Mary J. Blige is performing, “I Am”. God, she is so classy.

9:45- Gloriana just won some T-Mobile award over Lady GaGa. Ok, I love Gloriana, but this is an outrage. I am outraged.

9:47- Ok cue J.Lo on the center stage. She’s dressed like a boxer walking into a ring? And her backup dancers are following suit. I’ve never really been a huge fan of her vocals, but damn, the girl can dance. The chorus consists of her saying Louboutin over and over again. So, her new single is about expensive shoes? Creative. And my roommate, Jamie Dollinger, just pointed out that she’s not even wearing them. Oh, and she just fell. Now I feel bad.

9:57- Whitney Houston is being honored! She’s my second favorite diva, after Celine. I’m getting serious chills. She can’t get through the song because of all the applause! Even Reba McEntire is crying!

10:06- What’s with these seriously creepy Old Navy commercials? Anyone?

10:12-And Michael Jackson wins again for Pop/Rock Album. His brother is back to accept, and is sporting a white, glittered glove. “The message Michael had will live on forever,” he says. Amen to that.

10:14- Alicia Keys is performing again. I love the girl-she is so talented and smart- but come on. I’d rather see GaGa.

10:24- Eminem and 50 Cent singing “Crack a Bottle.” Eminem scares me, plus I like him more with blonde hair.

10:28- And now we go straight into a performance by Timabland, whom I loooove. I think he is the smartest rapper out there. He is joined by Nelly Furtado, who is looking super sleek. I’m not sure who the other chick out there is…I’ve never seen her before but she kind of looks like Katy Perry.

10:33-Preview for Nine! Ahhhh SO EXCITED FOR THIS MOVIE!

10:37- Green Day is performing “21 Guns”. Quote of the night, “Any guy that wears more eye makeup than me is not worth watching.”- my roommate Hillary Grey, referring to lead singer, Billie Joe Armstrong. Is it time for Adam Lambert yet?

10:43-Ryan Seacrest, looking sharp, here to present the final award of the night- Artist of the Year. Nominees are Eminem, Michael Jackson, Kings of Leon, Lady GaGa and Taylor Swift. AND TAYLOR SWIFT JUST WON OVER MICHAEL JACKSON. WHAT IS HAPPENING, AMERICA?! Thank goodness that Taylor Swift is the most humble and down-to-earth performer out there and thanked Michael Jackson and his family. BUT STILL!

10:52- Adam Lambert  closing out the show now…the second American Idol alum performing tonight!! I am the biggest fan of his. His vocals are simply incomparable.  Is anyone else so proud of him for making it here?  Um, he just made out with his male pianist. I’m sure that will raise some eyebrows, but good for him for breaking barriers. In the meantime, I am going to start a petition for him to duet with Lady GaGa. Come on, you know that would be out of control.

Ok music lovers, that’s the end of this year’s AMA’s. I hope you enjoyed the sweat and tears that went in to the hard task of live blogging.

Peace. Love. GaGa.

Calling all music lovers! November 10, 2009

Bear with me as I try to gather my thoughts.

If you know me, if you read this blog, if you are an extremely perceptive person who can catch the nuances of my writing, then there may be one thing you might have caught on to: I am an extremely passionate person. When I love something…I LOVE it. When I hate something, I HATE it. And so on, and so forth. Some may consider this one of my vices, but I actually like this about myself. I like that I am invested, and I like that I give a damn about stuff. Yeah, stuff.

So where am I going with all of this? I’m going to music. I’ll say it again. Music. Those five letters  make my day what it is and simultaneously narrate my life. When I look back on different moments, I can almost always find the song that was present within them. Music is something that I feel so passionately about and if possible, would find a plastic surgeon who would surgically implant ear buds in my ear and attach an iPod to my hand.

The motivation for this particular blog post is as follows: It is 1:36 a.m. I have approximately one test to study for, two articles to write, three e-mails to send, five TV shows to catch up on and a lovely queen-size bed calling my name. Yet instead of doing any one of those things, I am sitting at my computer, positively overwhelmed by the new music released this week. These so-called tasks that need tending to have floated out the window. And all I can think about are the chills running up and down my arms as I decide if my mother would be upset if the credit card bill said there was a $1,000 charge to the iTunes store.

OneRepublic, Dashboard Confessional, JASON MRAZ, podcasts, playlists, singles, Adam Lambert…and this is all just in one week. How many people can say they love something with this much passion and commitment? Not many, I would gamble. But I am lucky enough to count myself among them.

If you are not a music addict at this point, maybe this blog post has converted you. If you still remain unfaithful to the cause, let me know and I am happy to provide you with a slew of songs that will quickly change your mind. For those of you that may be alarmed at my fervor for music, I apologize. But I assure you that my passion is well-founded and well-invested. If I have motivated just one curious reader to take a deeper look into music and all that it encompasses, then I shall rest easy tonight.

Now, about studying for that test….Oh, who am I kidding?!

Lights Up, In Washington Heights October 26, 2009

While you won’t catch me blogging too often about Broadway, you should know that it is one of my favorite things. And this past Sunday, the first national tour of In the Heights, the 2008 Tony winner of Best Musical (along with a bevy of other awards), kicked off in Gainesville at our very own Phillips Center. My friends and I bought tickets awhile ago, and while I have already seen this show on Broadway in New York, I would never say no to the chance of seeing it again.

Starring a few members of the original cast, but mainly newly-cast actors, the national tour production didn’t differ too drastically from the one I saw in NY. For those of you unfamiliar with the show, some would say it’s a Latino version of Rent.  The story examines three  days in the lives of the residents of Washington Heights, a New York City Dominican- American neighborhood. With music in the genres of hip-hop, salsa and merengue, many have dubbed the show groundbreaking, innovative and unlike anything Broadway has ever seen. Which is probably why it was nominated for 13 Tony Awards.

Now I’ve yet to get to not only the coolest part of my experience seeing In the Heights here, but also one of the most exciting moments of my young life. Let me explain: As I said, the show kicked off it’s first show of its first national tour in Gainesville. Pretty exciting stuff. So as the lights are dimming and the curtain is about to go up, I happen to glance back behind me. Why I felt this compulsion? I couldn’t tell you. Chalk it up to the Broadway forces that be. Or my 6th sense of when celebrities are nearby. But I digress. I turn around, and who do I see? Lin- Manuel Miranda, the composer, lyricist and writer of In the Heights. The three-time Tony award and Grammy winner. A nominee for the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. There is no Broadway fiend worldwide that wouldn’t know who he is. And to top it off, he is accompanied by Andy Blankenbuehler, the Tony award winning choreographer, Alex Lacamoire, the music director, and Thomas Kail, the director.

It was at this point in time that my heart started palpitating, my palms started sweating and my legs began shaking. An allergic reaction? No, this is what happens to me when I see hugely influential and famously talented people. They were here to see the first live production of their masterpiece and to also (as I found out during intermission when I ran after them as they quickly exited the theater) to have a Q & A session after the show, as depicted below.

(from left) Andy Blankenbuehler, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Alex Lacamoire and Thomas Kail

Needless to say, it was one of the coolest moments of my life and I wish you all could have been there to revel in all of their Broadway glory with me. Miranda briefly touched on the In the Heights movie that is set to come out in 2010. He said that there has been no casting yet, but my guess is that the movie will be chock-full with original cast members.

So as if this unexpected day could not have gotten any better…um, it did. Why? See for yourself below.

Lin-Manuel Miranda and me. As if I'm ever washing that shirt again.

So there you go, readers. My wonderful day meeting some of the Broadway’s legends. Totally envious of my stellar In the Heights experience? Can’t make it to New York to see the show? Check out the national tour dates to see if it’s coming to a city near you, and watch some of the original cast performing here!

Where the Wild Things Are October 11, 2009

If I could demonstrate speechlessness through a blog, trust me, I would because that is what I am when it comes to this film.

If you keep up with this blog, you would have read in earlier posts how unbelievably excited I have been for this movie to come out. The time I have consumed watching its previews, listening to the soundtrack, reading about it… is, well, rather

"Let the wild rumpus start!" -Max

embarrassing.

Growing up as a child, this was one of my all-time favorite books. I’d find it hard to believe that any child of a similar status wouldn’t have eagerly anticipated this film, and by the looks of the packed theater I was in, I claim victory over this theory.

Anyway, onto the movie. In case you are completely oblivious to the famous children’s book penned by Maurice Sendak, the plot is quite simple: A young boy named Max escapes to a make-believe world filled with ‘wild things’ because he feels neglected at home by his mom and sister.

Max, played by Max Records, has a childhood liveliness about him and is filled with energy and imagination. Records, I thought, was mesmerizing and completely transcended the abilities of all other young actors that I have seen lately. I fell in love with his character from the opening scene of Max building a snow fort by himself. Records’ charm, emphatic imagination, and playfulness give life to his character and open the viewer’s minds up to embrace the limitless world Max creates. For an interview with Max Records, published in the L.A. Times, click here.

"I'll eat you up I love you so" -KW

And what of this world? Director Spike Jonze has created a place filled with forest, desert, mountain terrain and beach. I know not of such a locale, but it worked perfectly for this film. Jonze also gave distinct personalities and names to the wild things like KW, Ira and Carol (voiced by Lauren Ambrose, Forest Whitaker and James Gandolfini, respectively) which I thought helped make them less frightening and more relatable.

I also must discuss the music in this film. Provided by Karen O, of the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s, and Carter Burnwell, the whimsical music spins in and out of the scenes, giving life to even the smallest moments. There have been two soundtracks released for this film, both equally as good and definitely worth checking out on iTunes.

The most tremendous movie I have seen this year, I have high hopes for the future of wild things. I predict, hopefully, many nominations, high soundtrack sales and big box-office numbers. I even have been trying to figure out a way to construct my own wild thing costume for Halloween!

What can I say? This movie touched me and, I’ve no doubt, countless others. To paraphrase a line from the friendly wild thing KW, I could eat it up, I love it so.

Top 10 October 11, 2009

Need some new beats to play while working out? Here are my current Top 10 favorite songs to listen to when I pound the pavement…err, treadmill:

1. Pursuit of Happiness- Kid Cudi feat. MGMT and Ratatat
2. Down-Jay Sean feat. Lil Wayne
3. Imma Be- Black Eyed Peas
4. Stay Over- The Rescues
5. America’s Suitehearts- Fall Out Boy
6. Streetcorner Symphony-Rob Thomas
7. Gold Digger (Glee cast version)- Glee Cast
8. One Time- Justin Bieber
9. Daylight-Matt & Kim
10. Electric Feel- MGMT

Now run!

The Lost Symbol October 7, 2009

So I finished The Lost Symbol, the newest book by Dan Brown, and how do I put this frankly?  I didn’t like it. If  Symbol was the first Robert Langdon book I had ever read, maybe I would have. But if you put this novel next to The DaVinci Code and Angels and Demons, it doesn’t stand a chance.

What was new about this one? It was the first of the Langdon series to be set in the U.S., rather than Europe. Maybe it’s foreign settings that made the previous books so exciting. Maybe it was the thrill of the Louvre, or Vatican City. But D.C. didn’t really do it for me. Not as exciting, not as thrilling, not as mystical. Yes, Symbol was riddled with historical references, ancient societies, a multitude of symbols and of course the thrill of pursuit, but it all seemed rather formulaic. Take this into consideration: In previous Robert Langdon books, our hero would jet-set from locale to locale to museum to landmark and more. In this novel, I think he made it to two locations total. By page 200, I don’t think he had yet moved from his starting point.

Here is a brief summary of the book from Thom Geier’s review on EW.com: “This time, Langdon is lured to the Capitol to save his mentor, Peter Solomon, a prominent member of the Freemasons who’s been kidnapped by a cryptic, heavily tattooed, Homer-reading psycho calling himself Mal’akh — a vicious fellow even less plausible than the albino monk in The Da Vinci Code. Our hero is also in possession of an ancient Masonic artifact whose clues lead him on a treasure hunt to various D.C. tourist spots as he searches for a secret long hidden by the brotherhood.”

Final verdict? Brown has done better. He has been more concise, more exciting, and more mysterious. Of course, Brown and Langdon fans alike will read this book out of loyalty and curiosity, but if you’re a newcomer to these historical mysteries, don’t start here.

Check out the rest of Geier’s review here.