Breaking Dawn Part 1

If you are looking for a teen sex movie with no plot, go see Breaking Dawn Part I.

I have to say that I expected more out of this movie. After Eclipse, which I thought was brilliant (see my review) I thought the Twilight Saga movies had finally taken a turn for the better. Unfortunately, Breaking Dawn Part 1 harks back to the bad acting, shallow plot, awkward blocking, and poor characterization of Twilight and New Moon, in fact surpassing Twilight and taking the title of worst movie in the Twilight Saga. Overall I give it a 4 out of 10.

Right from the beginning I could tell that Breaking Dawn wasn't going to fit well with the rest of the series. The director chose to create odd scenes that really didn't fit with the rest of the series.

In Eclipse, the directors focused on characterization and because of that, the plot naturally flowed. In Breaking Dawn it fell like they focused on plot and forgot the characters (the most important part) and because of this the plot felt haphazard and forced.

Bella was flat and emotionless throughout most of the movie, but it was most noticeable at the wedding. She seemed forced and it really made it hard to connect with Bella at all.

The scene where the wolves were all talking to each other and Jacob creates his own pack was not done very well and that was really a shame since it is one of the climaxes of the story.

I expected them to do very well with the birthing/transformation scene since this director seems to enjoy presenting shocking and/or surprising shots. It was pretty gory, but again they failed to capture the emotion of what actually was going on in the book. They talked about a delicate balance between getting Renesme out and changing Bella but when it came down to it Edward almost ignored Bella until she was already dead. I was okay with them changing the storyline a little to integrate Jacob into the birthing scene but the fact that they butchered it made me upset anyway.

I expected them to do a horrible job with Jacob's imprint on Renesme and I was dreading the moment but when it happened I was happy with it. It wasn't too cheesy and they didn't drag it out too long. This was probably one of the best scenes in the entire movie (sadly).

The nudity was not necessary for little kids to see and it did nothing to further the plot.

On a superficial note: If you are going to make a crappy movie at least have some hot chicks in it. Bella was pretty nasty the whole time and Alice lost her pixie-like allure with her poor new haircut and bossy/mommy attitude.

In short, we already know that Breaking Dawn Part II will be better since it can't get much worse than that. Besides, Alec and Jane (two of my favorite characters) will be there. Breaking Dawn was my favorite book in the series and I hope they wrap up the ending of this series better than they started it.

Real Steel

I realized I haven't done a post since Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II came out. Perhaps it is because I am lazy and perhaps it is because nothing was worth talking about until now. Nobody will ever know.

I decided that I really needed to do a post about Real Steel because I feel like it is the most underrated movie of the year. Reviews were terrible and I didn't even get an "it was okay" from any of my friends. This was a real bummer because I was looking forward to this movie. After seeing Real Steel (finally!) I have to give it a 9 out of 10.

Real Steel tells the story of a washed up boxer who now does a poor job of training boxing robots. When his ex-wife of 11 years dies unexpectedly he ends up spending the summer with a son he never knew. Max loves boxing robots and the two help each other be successful as they make their way to the biggest robot fight ever.

Hugh Jackman did an excellent job. He was true to his character and the dynamic between father and son was different than any I had ever seen in a movie before. Rather than one person trying to build a relationship and the other evading, neither character tried to get to know the other but they were brought together by a common interest. They inevitably grew together along the way.

I have heard that many people think that the boxing robots were kind of cheesy and lame. On the contrary, I thought it was interesting and exciting watching the matches. Having never been a boxing fan and being a little sick of robots (mainly from the last 2 Transformers movies which were fails) I expected to be a little fed up with this. I looked forward to every fight and I was never disappointed.

The supporting characters had just enough involvement to be "supporting characters" but most of the time was saved for Max and Charlie to develop their relationship. I enjoyed a movie that was more about character than about plot and that presented it in a new way for me. The movie is definitely not for everyone, but I think it makes a great film that guys and girls could agree to watch together.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II

Brilliant. Absolutely bloody brilliant! Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II represents to me the culmination of my entire childhood. I have looked forward to this moment for over a decade now and it has finally ended. It comes with a mix of sadness as well as content. It could never be any other way. I do not remember who introduced me to the first book as a child (probably my parents) but I do remember the impact it had on me. Chamber of Secrets scared me so bad that I had to sleep on the floor in my parents' room until I finished it but I would not put it down even though my mother asked me to. At school while other kids played soccer or basketball I spent my time browsing the books, writing down every spell and its effect and committing them to memory in order to play wizards with my friend Seth. The writing in the books improved as I grew up and my reading level increased, keeping me interested. The seventh book was and is my favorite. That is probably how a series should be. Ron, Harry, and Hermione have been with me practically my entire life and to see them on the big screen in these vivid scenes was more than a dream come true.

Now for the actual evaluation of the film. Hehe . . . . sorry for getting distracted.

The beginning of the film was a perfect transition from the first half. After that it had a few rough transitions that were choppy and I felt like they rushed just a couple of things. For instance, the scene with Aberforth was not fulfilling enough. The transition when Harry gets to the Room of Requirement and Ginny announced that Snape knows that Harry was spotted in Hogsmeade is abrupt and choppy. From the reaction of the audience they felt the same way.

When Harry steps out from the crowd and calls Snape out and the Order steps through the doors I just about peed my pants. It sent shivers up my spine. It was all about to begin. The epic continued with McGonagall facing down Snape. When the castle comes to life and the good guys begin preparing for the defenses I was tingling.

The battle itself, as expected, was amazing. It did not disappoint in any way, although they changed a few things about the way it all went down. I never felt like it dragged and I was genuinely concerned about nearly every single person shown in the frames.

Snape's death was well done and garnered a lot of sympathy points for the half-blood prince. This was closely followed by a quadruple combination of scenes that eventually made me teary. I was glad that the director chose to make the scene short where Harry sees Fred, Tonks, and Lupin. That scene led to Snape's memories where his love for Lily is clear and poignant. Immediately after that Harry knows what he must do and that he must go alone. As he leaves his friends Hermione wishes it could be any other way, cries, and offers to go with him. That nearly got me there. When Harry uses the resurrection stone to speak to his parents, Sirius, and Lupin I finally shed the tear that had been welling up over the past fifteen or so minutes. It was very touching to me.

Epic scenes unfolded from there. The death of Harry, Molly and Bellatrix, Neville and Nagini, and finally Harry and Lord Voldemort.

My friends will probably say that I am eating my words here but I enjoyed the epilogue and felt like it was very much needed. In the book I didn't really think we necessarily needed to see it and it didn't do much for me then but the movie really needed that boost of happy and alright with the word to counter all the pain and suffering that had just happened. The victory over Voldemort, at least in the movie, was not enough alone. I felt a lot of strength when Harry spoke of Snape's bravery to his son Albus.

10 does not even begin to describe this film. It undoubtedly joins the ranks of my all-time favorite movies. I feel it is unfair to judge its place in those standings just yet until this euphoria wears off. Otherwise, I would make it my #1 movie of all time this instant.

I hope everybody enjoys the movie. Here and a few pictures of my friends and me from the theater.

Transformers 3: Dark of the Moon

I will admit, I was not looking forward to this movie very much. After the disappointment of the second movie I wasn't sure I would even go see it. Alas, fate had something else in mind for me and a friend invited me to go. It actually wasn't as bad as the second movie but is was still kind of awful. I am giving it a 6. First I will cover the big, overarching things that they got wrong then we can talk about a few little things. I will say it was pretty cool how they used actual footage from Kennedy and Nixon's presidencies as well as casting Obama and Buzz Aldrin as themselves.

Plot was a lot better in this movie than in the second one but it still could have been better constructed. It seemed like they just threw characters in at random when they didn't have to. However the biggest problem (same as in the second movie) was that the producers and writers must have been confused about what kind of movie they were making. The first Transformers had a great plot line, great action, and it was funny. The two sequels were crudely strewn-together comedies with action going on in the background. A LOT of scenes were simply thrown in to get a cheap laugh and did not further the plot or characterization AT ALL. (The action was fun to watch though).

A few little things:

What the heck with the colored blood/liquid crap oozing from wounds that the transformers get? Apparently they didn't bleed at all in the first two but 2011 hit them all like Y2K or something and changed their genetics to have blood. Whatever.

The girl's accent was pretty annoying.

As much as I love John Malkovich and Ken Jeong and as funny as they are . . . all they did was detract from the film.

Last but not least, the redhead general who died in the first movie is back again! He was in the second movie too. Since nobody believes me about this I have attached a video for your viewing pleasure. Nobody survives the attack on Qatar except the small team. Yet the general magically does. Hmmm . . . continuity issues people.

Transformers - Attack in Qatar - Watch more amazing videos here

Super 8

More like Super 10. This movie definitely deserved my highest rating. I was a little leery of my good old J.J. Abrams after the disaster of Cloverfield but he began redeeming himself with Star Trek and Super 8 has more than fully restored him to my good graces. I remember them released a cryptic 20 second trailer of Super 8 last year before it even had a title and I have been waiting for it ever since. Without further ado, my review.

This movie was hilarious. It reminded me of Goonies and Sandlot which isn't surprising considering it follows around a group of kids. It is set in a charming late 70s town in the midwest and the feel of adventure that the kids bring is instant and intoxicating. The storyline unfolding at a quick pace but without leaving much out. It followed a logical progression and didn't leave the viewer feeling like he or she was missing anything. The romance was well-played, keeping the innocence of the the main characters. The kids did an amazing job.

My only complaint about the move was the language. It was necessary for some foul language, but I felt like the F-word was unnecessary and they could have toned down the kids' swearing a little bit in some scenes. Other than that the movie was fantastic. As my second 10 of the year, I would readily recommend Super 8 to anybody who needs a good laugh and loves childlike adventure.

Makin' Mormon Jello

In preparation for a Memorial Day work party I joked about bringing Mormon jello because we had been talking about the billboard in Provo that proudly features green jello and carrots with the slogan "Some things just go together." I figured that I might as well learn to mix green jigglyness with vegetables and fruits someday since I will inevitably be expected to make it at some point. Heather was brave enough to volunteer to help me give birth to my first jello conglomeration.

First we had to dissolve the jello mix in a few cups of hot water then mix in some cold water. We figured it would be a good idea to wait a little while until putting the fruit in (we used bananas and pineapple). I am still working on when to put the fruit in (the bananas all floated to the top rather than being suspended) but I think I have the basic idea of Mormon jello-making down thanks to Heather, the creators of the instructions on the jello box, and a lady at the grocery store who told us how much of the mix we would need. It tasted delicious and I can't wait for my next jello experience.

Pirates of the Caribbean 4: On Stranger Tides

I know it has been a few days. So sue me. I went and saw Pirates of the Caribbean 4: On Stranger Tides Thursday night at the Orem theater and even though most of you have probably already seen it, I decided to do my review.

Overall I gave the movie an 8.5. I struggled with how I should grade this movie because it was not very good as a sequel but it was entertaining as a stand alone movie. Even though I hate Penelope Cruz I think she did an excellent job and so did most of the other actors. For some reason I was mostly just annoyed with the priest. There were very few things which harked back to the first trilogy. I think that was a smart move. This movie was funny without needing to take everything from the first movie and reusing it. I think that Jack should have "lied by telling the truth" at the end of the movie with the two cups simply because it would have been a funny joke considering that Cruz's character had done that to him earlier in the movie. I don't know why the writers didn't take that easy joke but whatever. Overall, I would buy it and watch it multiple times which is much more than I can say for the 2nd installment in this trilogy.

Thor

Yesterday I decided to go see Thor after work. I was pretty tired because I had only slept four hours the night before and just worked a ten hour shift but I wanted to see it anyway so that nobody would ruin it for me. Surprisingly, I had no trouble at all staying awake. The movie was hilarious and and the casting was great, even for the supporting characters. The story pulled me in and made me almost forget about the upcoming Avengers movie. It was so good that I would want to watch it over and over even if the other Avengers movies hadn't been made. Natalie Portman was gorgeous as usual. I thought the acting was pretty good. Loki was fantastic at the end when he is battling Thor. One thing that bothered me was the opening scene. I was okay with how it started but the cut to the opening credits came at an odd moment I thought. Other than that I mostly loved the movie. I gave the movie a 9.

Wheel of Time Fantasy Cast

The Boys

Rand al'Thor
Garrett Hedlund
This was a tough call. I needed to find someone who would look good with red hair, tall, could pull off both farmer and blademaster, and handsome. I was thinking about this when I watched Tron and Garrett Hedlund really impressed me. I have no doubt that he would do a great job with the role of Rand al'Thor. You may also recognize him from Country Strong, Eragon, and Troy.




 
Matrim Cauthon
Andrew Garfield

I recently changed my choice of Mat after seeing the new Spiderman movie.  Andrew Garfield has the perfect personality and facial expressions to play the Prince of Ravens.  You may recognize him from The Amazing Spiderman or The Social Network.










Perrin
Adrian Grenier
After seeing this picture I did not consider anybody else for Perrin. He has the perfect curly hair, good guy feel, and he is handsome. Those eyes would look great as golden wolf eyes and I could see him as a blacksmith. He also would look good with the character I chose for Faile. You may know him from Entourage, The Devil Wears Prada, and Drive Me Crazy.




 

Lan
Liam Neeson
I am pretty surprised that I have not seen this suggestion on any of the other fantasy cast lists. He is tall, strong, and epic. Lan is also all of those things. He looks like the character I chose as Isam as they are both from Malkier and he would play well with the characters I chose for Nynaeve and Moiraine. He can be strong and stiff and silent but we have seen that Liam can have a soft side as well. You may know him from Unknown, Taken, Star Wars, The A-Team, Clash of the Titans, Batman Begins, and Love Actually.

Thom
James Cromwell
I considered many people for this role. At first I liked Ian McKellen for the role but then I realized that he would make a perfect Pedron Niall. A friend of mine suggested James Cromwell and I was sold immediately. He would play the secretive Gleeman well. You may know him from Pope Pius XII, Secretariat, Surrogates, W., 24, Spider-Man 3, Dante's Inferno, The Queen, The Longest Yard, I, Robot, and more.



 

Gawyn Trakand
Alex Pettyfer
Gawyn needed to be handsome, blonde, and strong. He has great chemistry with Dianna Agron who I have cast as his sister. I think he would also do well with the character I chose for Egwene. Gawyn is probably my favorite male character in the book and I definitely took a long time on this choice because I wanted to be sure that it was right. Alex could play frustrated Gawyn, loving Gawyn, and everything in between. I love Alex Pettyfer for this role. You may know him from Beastly, I Am Number Four, and Alex Rider: Operation Stormbreaker.

Loail
James Earl Jones
They would only need his voice for this role and James Earl Jones has a fantastic voice. It is deep and rumbling, exactly how Loail is described. You may know him from from narrating in Click, Scary Movie 4, Star Wars (voice of Vader) as well as playing in The Sandlot and other movies.

Wheel of Time Fantasy Cast

The Girls

Egwene
Emmy Rossum
I considered a lot of people for Egwene al'Vere including Ellen Page, Natalie Portman, and others. In the end, Emmy Rossum matched my mental image the best. Egwene is my second favorite character in the entire series and I feel confident about my choice. Emmy can play the innocent village girl who is curious about the One Power and trains under Moiraine, but I believe she could also play the powerful Amyrlin that she becomes. This picture shows both at once and I absolutely love her for this role. You may know her from Poseidon, The Phantom of the Opera, and The Day After Tomorrow.


Nynaeve
Lena Headey
Nynaeve was actually a really hard choice for me. There were a lot of people who I thought could handle the personality but not the look and vice versa. Finally I found Lena Headey and I knew that she was the one. She looks like she can kick ass and that she has a temper plus she matches Nynaeve's description. I could just see her trying to control everything around her, getting frustrated at her block, healing those around her, and being in love with the character I chose for Lan. You may know her from Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, 300, and The Brothers Grimm. The only potential problem I see with this is that she is currently part of the Tv series Game of Thrones which, as we all know, is one of Wheel of Time's biggest rivals.

Moiraine Damodred
Sandra Bullock
Sandra is perfect for the role of Moiraine. She fits the description, even down to being short and she is one of the strongest-willed people I know. I could see her in all her various roles, including her recent one in ToM and I can see her being Lan's Aes Sedai. Just hang a blue gem on her forehead and call her Moiraine. You may know her from The Blindside, The Proposal, Premonition, The Lake House, Miss Congeniality, Two Weeks Notice, Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, 28 Days, Practical Magic, and more.



I have seen a lot of people put down Rachel Weisz for Moiraine so I thought she deserved an honorable mention. I think she definitely has the look for it but I don't know that her personality is exactly right. I would be okay with her for Moiraine but I would much prefer Sandra. You may know Rachel from The Mummy, The Lovely Bones, The Brothers Bloom, Definitely, Maybe, Fred Claus, and Constantine.

Elayne
Dianna Agron
When the girls first meet Elayne in the White Tower she acts like the Daughter-Heir that she is. I needed someone who could play both the Daughter-Heir and the tenacious Aes Sedai who falls for Rand. Dianna Agron is the epitomy of princess. In Glee she acted like one but even in her other movies, there is a certain royal air about her even in roles that are not cast that way. She also looks like she could be the daughter of the character I chose for Morgase and the brother of the boy I chose for Gawyn. You may also know her from I Am Number Four, and Burlesque.


Min
Ellen Page
Ellen Page. What more can I saw? I knew she had to be in this cast somewhere and when I saw this picture it shouted Min Farshaw to me. She has her hair cut the same way and Ellen's personality is very similar to Min's. I could see her wearing guy's clothes but finally admitting that she likes dresses later on. Min is probably one of the most likeable characters in the books and Ellen is likeable too. You may know her from Inception, Whip It, Juno, and X-Men.




Aviendha
Laura Prepon
In a stroke of brilliance I selected Laura Prepon to play our favorite Aiel. She needed to have red hair, be tall and strong, and be beautiful. Laura fits all of these. I could see her becoming friends with the character I chose for Elayne and also falling in love with Rand. I can also see her as both a Maiden and a Wise One. She would fit in with the rest of the cast very well. You may recognize her from her small roles on many shows like How I Met Your Mother or for her large role in That '70s Show.


 

Faile
Mia MaestroIt was hard for me to find a good person to play Faile. She had to look Saldean but be strong and beautiful. To be she is a non-Aiel Maiden. Mia Maestro fits the description perfectly. I can see her with Perrin when they first meet, later trying to play politics with Berelain and Alliandre, and in the captivity of the Shaido. You may know her from The Box, Alias, Poseidon, and Deepwater.

Wheel of Time Fantasy Cast

The Aes Sedai

Elaida
Anjelica Huston
Nobody can play bitch like Anjelica Huston and Elaida is easily the biggest bitch in the entire series. Couldn't you just see Anjelica as a Red Ajah Aes Sedai? You may know her from When in Rome, Daddy Day Care, Ever After, and the Addams Family.





 

Liandrin
Clare Kramer
Clare Kramer does bitch almost as well as Anjelica Huston. Here she is wearing her Ajah colors. Couldn't you just see that pretty blonde hair in Taraboner braids? You may recognize her from The Rules of Attraction, Bring It On, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. If you have any doubts about her being able to play Liandrin just watch a single episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer that has her in it.





Siuan
Sophie Ellis-Bextor
She is tall, strong, and even has the haircut of Siuan Sanche. I saw this on another fantasy cast list and thought it was absolutely perfect. She is more of a singer/songwriter than an actress but she has done a little acting and she looks perfect for the role.










Leane
Indira Varma
I also saw this on another fantasy cast list and thought it was perfect. The most common adjective to describe Leane is willowy and Indira certainly captures that. You may recognize her from Human Target, Luther, Moses Jones, and Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love.






 
Sheraim
Debra MessingSheraim has fiery red hair and green eyes and I imagined her with ample bosoms. She is anxious a lot especially as the books progress because of Halima and her dirty, dark secret. Debra Messing would do great as the Mistress of Novices. You may know her from Will and Grace.






 
Alanna Mosvani
Vanessa MarcilAlanna is dark with long hair and she is a babe. She is described as being very sexy. She is a Green and loves men. Vanessa Marcil would play this role very very well. You may know her from General Hospital, Without a Trace, Lipstick Jungle, and Las Vegas.



Alviarin
Eva GreenAlviarin is a White. She needs to be tall, mysterious, and fit the logical bill of a White. Eva Green in Casino Royale convinced me that she could do this. You may also know her from Camelot, The Golden Compass, and Kingdom of Heaven.










Silviana
Moira Kelly
Silviana is described as short with a gruff voice. Her dark brown hair is short. Moira could definitely play both the Mistress of Novices and the Keeper of the Chronicles. I could see her dealing out punishment to Egwene when she is first captured. You may know her from One Tree Hill, The West Wing, To Have & to Hold, and The Cutting Edge.













Myrelle
Eva Longoria
Myrelle is a very important Aes Sedai. She is Captain-General of the Greens and part of Egwene's Council. She is beautiful, olive skin, with dark eyes and dark hair. She was friends with Moiraine and Siuan as novices. You may know her from Desperate Housewives, The Heartbreak Kid, and The Sentinel.









Verin
Concha Velasco
Short and plump with short hair. Verin is a Brown who at times seems oblivious of the world. The secrets surrounding Verin were some of the most intriguing for me in the book so the actress must be talented enough to pull it off. Concha Velasco is an older actress who looks exactly how I pictured Verin looking. You probably have not seen any movies with her in it because she is from Spain and films movies there.





Cadsuane
Helen MirrenOne of the most hated Aes Sedai. Helen Mirren has played these types of roles before. She is old with white hair and has an attitude that she expects everyone to obey her instantly. Put Helen's hair in a bun and add some ornaments and you have Cadsuane. You may know her from Red, The Queen, Raising Helen, and more.

Wheel of Time Fantasy Cast

The Forsaken

Lanfear
Jennifer ConnellyLanfear needs to have really white skin with long dark hair and be as beautiful as Rhavin is handsome. She needs to be able to pull off both Lady Selene and Lanfear. Jennifer Connelly also has that ability to have a look in her eyes that makes it seem like she is lusting for power, which Lanfear always is. You may know her from He's Just Not That Into You, Inkheart, The Day the Earth Stood Still, Blood Diamond, Dark Water, Hulk, and Labyrinth.





Ishamael
Jeremy IronsThe strongest of the Forsaken. He thinks the other Forsaken are fools because they don't understand as much as he does about the Pattern and about the Dark One. Other Forsaken have commented saying that he might have been just like Rand if he hadn't converted to the shadow. I can just see fire coming out of Jeremy Irons' eyes. You may know him from Eragon, Casanova, The Merchant of Venice, and Kingdom of Heaven.







Rhavin
Antonio BanderasRhavin needs to be very handsome, dark skinned, and suave. Antonio Banderas was the first person to come to mind and after continued searching I could find nobody better. You may know him from Take the Lead, Spy Kids, The 13th Warrior, The Mask of Zorro, and Desperado.









Asmodean
Johnny DeppAsmodean is described as middle aged, tall, and handsome with dark hair and eyes. He also needs to be able to pull off a guy who loves music and the arts. When Rand captures him he needs to have a certain subservient nature. I think Johnny Depp could easily cover all of these areas. You may know him from Sweeney Todd, Pirates of the Caribbean, Edward Scissorhands, Alice in Wonderland, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, and Finding Neverland.




Aran'gar
Lena Olin
Aran'gar poses as Halima in Salidar. She is described as stunning with a full bosom and an outspoken nature. She has the soul of Balthamel, a man. In one of my proudest casting choices I chose Lena Olin for this role. Watch Alias and see if she is just not perfect for this part. You may also know her from Casanova, Queen of the Dammed, Chocolat, and The Ninth Gate.


Osan'gar
Kevin SpaceyOsan'gar is said to look quite ordinary. He sometimes shows signs of madness, giggling to himself and other such things. He won't get much screen time, but I could just see Kevin Spacey taking on this role and he would be great. Of course Osan'gar is playing Dashiva most of the time so even the little screen time he has would be Alan Rickman, but still. You may know him from The Men Who Stare at Goats, 21, Fred Claus, Pay It Forward, Austin Powers in Goldmember, and others.




Graendal
Nicole Kidman
I originally wanted Nicole Kidman for Morgase but then I saw this picture of her and it just shouted Graendal at me. She is described as being beautiful with red-gold curls. She is extremely promiscuous and superficial. She has managed to stay alive thus far so we know she is strong and scheming. Nicole Kidman is the perfect woman to play Graendal. You may know her from Just Go with It, Australia, The Golden Compass, Bewitched, The Stepford Wives, Cold Mountain, The Others, Moulin Rouge!, and Practical Magic.


Sammael
Jeff Bridges
Sammael was a great general before he changed sides. He is short and stocky. Solid. I think Jeff Bridges would do a fantastic job of playing Sammael. You may know him from True Grit, Tron, Crazy Heart, The Men Who Stare at Goats, Iron Man, Stick It, and Seabiscuit.


Mesaana
Alexis Bledel
I considered Alexis for Egwene but I decided those bright blue eyes would be better served as Mesaana. We aren't really sure what Mesaana looks like since she usually shows up as shadows of blacks and whites but those eyes and smile match Mesaana's personality. I think Alexis would do great with this role. You may know her from Post Grad, Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, and Gilmore Girls.





Moghedien
Emily DeschanelShe is described as handsome with shoulder length dark hair and slender. I know Emily could play the role of the Spider. She is even wearing something similar to what I would picture Moghedien wearing in her photo. Not only could I see a strong, confident master of Tel'aran'rhiod but I can also see her as subservient, both to the girls and to Moridin. You may know her from Boogeyman, Cold Mountain, and the Tv series Bones.







Moridin
Ewan McGregorMoridin is general calm and collected, masking an even deeper madness than he showed as Ishamael. He has many insights into the Pattern that the rest of the Forsaken do not and he is often caught up in his own thoughts. He is supposed to look quite young with blue eyes and a square chin. This picture of Ewan McGregor proves he is perfect for this role. You may recognize him from The Men Who Stare at Goats, Angels & Demons, The Island, Star Wars, Black Hawk Down, and Moulin Rouge!.






Aginor
Geoffrey RushAs a result of being sealed too close to the surface, Aginor felt the movement of time. Because of this his body has aged and even begun rotting. He haunts Nynaeve's nightmares and I just imagined a perverted old man chasing after a beautiful woman. I think Geoffrey Rush could do this quite well. You may know him from The King's Speech, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Munich.








Be'lal
Christopher PlummerHe is quite old, with white hair. He is a politician and masquerades as one of the High Lords in Tear. He has to be distinguished for this reason. He is also a bladesmaster. I am not set in my decision for Christopher Plummer but I do think he could do the job. You may know him from The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus, Caesar and Cleopatra, The Lake House, Must Love Dogs, Alexander, and National Treasure.







DemandredBen Affleck Demandred is the personification of average. He is almost handsome, close to Lews Therin in skill and raw power, he wanted Llyena, etc. . .. He hates the Dragon and almost never smiles. Ben Affleck, though handsome, could play this role well I think. You may know him from State of Play, He's Just Not That Into You, Paycheck, and Daredevil.






Cyndane
Jennifer CoolidgeCyndane is short and plump, the opposite of what Lanfear was like. She is considerably less strong in the power and resents everything. Jennifer Coolidge would be great for the part of Cyndane. You may know her from Nip/Tuck, Epic Movie, Click, A Cinderella Story, Legally Blonde, and more.








Semirhage
Zoe Saldana
Semirhage is dark-skinned. She is a torturer and enjoys making people scream. Zoe Saldana could definitely play this role. You may know her from Star Trek, Takers, and Pirates of the Caribbean.







 
Since Balthamel always wears a mask I wasn't too concerned with who should play him. A lot of people could probably do the role well.