Sigh.
My stepmother introduced me to the Janet Evanovich books many years ago. I'd flown home to see my dad, who was falling deeper and deeper into dementia and needed something to read to relax. I ended up going home with six or seven of the books and have read all of them except for the latest (I'm waiting on a copy from my local, tiny library).
I own a lot of books. Probably a couple thousand. I have everything from old Agatha Christie books to Terry Pratchett's discworld series. I own books about things like Pi (the equation, not the food, though come to think of it I do own some cook books). I have books of poetry and plays. But I don't own any horror books. I have no interest in things like CSI. There is enough horror in the real world without recreating it on the written page or on TV.
But back to One For The Money. Before venturing out into the cold to go see it - the nearest theatre is twenty miles from my home - I read several reviews. They were nothing short of scathing. But the more I read, the more I thought I'd enjoy the movie. You see, unlike several of the reviewers, I've actually read the Stephanie Plum novels. I get the part where there are some hokey lines and that all the characters have short comings. I understand that Stephanie isn't a great feminist. Hell, I can handle a gun better than she can. But in almost fifteen years of reading the novels (remember, I came to them late) I know these things about her. She's spunky, but not really. Her grandma is flaky but insightful and so on.
There's no blood and gore in the movie. But there isn't in the books either. It's implied, sure, and people die, they are, after all, mystery novels. But there's no attempt to gross us out and when gun shots are described in detail its when, for instance, Grandma shoots the turkey.
Reviewers complain about dialogue that is straight from the books. They complain that there aren't any "first rate" actors in the film. I'm sorry, who cares? The first Harry Potter film starred mostly a bunch of unknown kids who are now famous. They complain that it's not scary enough. Read the books! They aren't scary!
What are they? A delightful romp. As was the movie.
Here are some links to some of the awful reviews:
http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-01-28/entertainment/sc-mov-0127-one-for-the-money-review-20120128_1_bounty-hunter-stephanie-plum-gerard-butler
http://blogs.detroitnews.com/poptropolis/2012/01/29/review-one-for-the-money-not-worth-it/
http://www.mercurynews.com/movies-dvd/ci_19834606
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