The Magic Hour is a novel written by Kristin Hannah, an acclaimed author known for her ability to draw readers into emotional stories. This particular novel explores the themes of family dynamics, forgiveness, and self-discovery. Set in the picturesque town of Rain Valley, The Magic Hour follows the journey of Dr. Julia Cates, a renowned child psychiatrist. Julia is haunted by a tragic incident from her past and feels as though she may never move on from the guilt she carries. However, her life takes an unexpected turn when a young girl mysteriously appears in Rain Valley.
Apparently I should have been paying more attention to Syfy's schedule, because there's usually 2-3 HMAD-able entries airing per week, and because they're trapped on my cable box, I have to make efforts to finish them before I go to work (if I am on the night shift). That leaves more time at work for Spider Solitaire! Thus, Yeti: Curse of the Snow Demon , which aired a week or so ago, made a fine option for today (notice that this is the first review to post the same day I watched it in quite a while).
killing the human characters or in a particularly odd moment cuddling with one that he kidnapped, it s a good ol fashioned guy in a big furry suit, which is exactly how I like it. Now our kids are on the run with the only thing standing between them and instantaneous death is a couple of park rangers, a couple of really stupid park rangers that is, and a First Down Marker.
However, her life takes an unexpected turn when a young girl mysteriously appears in Rain Valley. The girl, whom Julia names Alice, has been found living in the wild, raised by wolves. Julia is determined to help this girl, who seems to have no memory of her past or the ability to speak.
Yeti curse of the snow demonvcast
Reviewed by
Christopher Armstead
Thanks to the movie ‘ Funny People’ I have a new term to add to my limited lexicon of words I have at my disposal and this word would be ‘organically’. Of course I know what the word means but it’s this new application of the word that I have added in, so instead of one forcing things one should allow it flow ‘organically’. Now where is the relevance to that and this movie ‘Yeti: Curse of the Snow Demon’? Well, a lot filmmakers attempt to make movies that are parodies in that they try to make a movie that is bad with the theory being that their attempt will elicit comedy. More times than not they’re forcing the issue and more times than not they fail miserably. It’s not organic. See the ‘Date Movie’, ‘Disaster Movie’ series of flicks for examples of this. Then you have a movie like ‘Yeti: Curse of the Snow Demon’ which I think the filmmakers where attempting to make legitimate creature feature but instead they’ve created one of the wackiest, silliest, and funniest movies that the genre has ever produced, and it all occurred within the organic flow of the filmmaking process. This genre we speak of would be the abominable snowman comedy, a genre which I believe consists of one film… this one… but the fact remains that ‘Yeti: Curse of the Snow Demon’ is the funniest abominable snowman movie of ALL-TIME.
One the reasons that this movie has us a bit off balance on whether or not it was designed to funny is that our heroes name is Peyton Elway (Mark Menard) and he’s a quarterback. So Mark and his Virginia football team are off to Japan to play in the first ever bowl game in Japan when their plane experiences some ‘turbulence’. Believe me when I tell you that you haven’t see an airplane experience turbulence until you see the fake CGI puppet plane in this movie experience turbulence. It’s really too awesome to describe but the plane was bouncing off of clouds like a pinball.
Anyway the plane crashes in the Himalayas and now we have a crew of young adults who have unfortunately landed in the land of the Yeti. In addition to Peyton we have
super cute team manager Sarah (Carly Pope), a Black dude with extensive knowledge of ancient allegedly extinct snow creatures named Rice (Brandon Jay McClaren), team trainer and Asian chick with dreadlocks Kyra (Elfina Luk) and of course the prerequisite scurrilous back stabbing asshole Ravin (Adam O’Byrne). Everybody else is dead or soon will be. Our kids lay the dead bodies out in the snow which actually works for them because where we see a horrible tragedy the Yeti sees a Piggly Wiggly and he comes by at night and grabs him a body and goes on about his business which keeps him away from our survivors who aren’t yet aware of his existence. Unfortunately food is running low for our crash survivors and it’s ‘Alive’ time as the dead former teammates are starting to look quite tasty. But what I don’t get is that our survivors have full access to the front of the plane and considering this was a transpacific flight, the cabin should be loaded up with roasted nuts and prepackaged meals, not to mention little bitty bottles of liquor. So the irritating Asian chick with the dreadlocks apparently has a problem with eating people and sets the bodies on fire, or in essence burnt down the Yeti’s Piggly Wiggly. Now what’s the Yeti gonna eat? This does raise the larger question as to what was the Yeti eating before the plane crashed? After watching my man eat he’s certainly not down with moderation so unless a plane crashes on a weekly basis he should’ve starved to death decades ago.
Now our kids are on the run with the only thing standing between them and instantaneous death is a couple of park rangers, a couple of really stupid park rangers that is, and a First Down Marker. It’s complicated.
There are a number of things which keep the comedy flowing organically in this film, with a major contributor being possibly the worst CGI in the history of Computer Generate Images. From the airplane turbulence to the airplane crash to the herky jerky yeti movements and the fact that the cat in the Yeti suit and CGI Yeti didn’t come close to matching each other, made for some seriously high brow comedy. In addition to the horrible looking Yeti the actors in this flick kept the comedy flowing with some inspired comedic actions. Ravin the asshole snatched a bunch of chocolates off dead Black guy Chubbs to hoard. I get that. What I don’t get is when faced with opportunity of eating humans or eating his stolen chocolates Ravin opted to eat people. What’s up with that? He didn’t actually start eating his chocolate until AFTER they were rescued. More or less rescued. Because that would indicate that the asshole survived. So we’ve established that Ravin is an asshole which is punctuated by him shooting a returning teammate in the eye thinking it was the Yeti. I’m sorry but we gotta give the asshole a pass on this one. If the teammate had simply piped up with ‘Hey guys, it’s me’, he wouldn’t have an exploded flare in his eye socket. Observe how a wild rabbit magically transforms into the Colonel’s grilled chicken once they cook it. Our characters also seemed to enjoy charging the twelve foot two ton Yeti with razor sharp yellow teeth, only to seemed surprised when it ate them spine first.
At this point in my life my friends the only thing I require from a movie is that it entertain me in someway. True, ‘Yeti: Curse of the Snow Demon’ is probably about as bad as a movie gets but I sure did have a good time talking to the television and laughing at it while it was on. But then that’s just me.
SyFy does it again. As dumb as this movie is, I remember watching it when I was younger, and I remember really liking it. It’s not bad, but it’s not great, or very good, really.
As Julia delves deeper into Alice's story, she begins to understand that this young girl may hold the key to her own healing. Throughout the novel, Hannah skillfully weaves in elements of suspense and mystery, keeping the reader captivated until the very end. The small-town setting serves as a backdrop for the complex relationships and interconnectedness of the characters. As Julia spends more time with Alice, she begins to question her own beliefs and confront the demons of her past. Through her journey with Alice, Julia finds a renewed sense of purpose and a pathway to forgiveness. The Magic Hour explores the notion that healing can come from unexpected sources and that sometimes, the people who need our help the most are the ones who end up helping us in return. Hannah's writing style is emotive and thought-provoking, enabling readers to deeply connect with the characters and their struggles. The Magic Hour is a testament to the strength of the human spirit and the power of love and compassion. In conclusion, The Magic Hour by Kristin Hannah is a captivating novel that navigates the complexities of family, guilt, and forgiveness. Through the story of Dr. Julia Cates and the mysterious girl named Alice, Hannah creates a poignant narrative that will resonate with readers long after they turn the final page..
Reviews for "The Unique Protagonist in Kristin Hannah's "The Magic Hour"
1. John - 2 stars - I found "The Magic Hour" by Kristin Hannah to be quite disappointing. The plot was promising at first, with its intriguing premise of a small town doctor dealing with a mystery patient. However, as the story progressed, I couldn't help but feel that it lacked depth and originality. The characters were undeveloped and lacked complexity, making it difficult for me to connect with them on any level. Additionally, the writing style felt forced and cliché, making the book a struggle to read. Overall, I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone looking for a captivating and well-executed story.
2. Sarah - 1 star - "The Magic Hour" by Kristin Hannah was a major letdown for me. The story started off with a promising concept, but quickly got lost in a sea of predictable clichés and stereotypes. The characters were shallow and one-dimensional, and the plot was incredibly predictable. There were no twists or surprises that kept me engaged, and the ending felt rushed and unsatisfying. I also found the writing style to be lackluster, with frequent repetitions and unnecessary details that added nothing to the story. In conclusion, I was extremely disappointed with this book and would not recommend it.
3. Mark - 2 stars - "The Magic Hour" by Kristin Hannah fell flat for me. The initial concept had potential, but unfortunately, the execution was lacking. The pacing felt off, with long stretches of little action followed by rushed and underdeveloped resolutions. Additionally, some of the character interactions felt forced and unrealistic, making it difficult for me to emotionally invest in their stories. The book also delved into predictable and overdone tropes, leaving me hoping for more originality. Overall, while it had its moments, "The Magic Hour" failed to leave a lasting impression.
4. Emily - 3 stars - "The Magic Hour" by Kristin Hannah had its strengths but ultimately didn't deliver for me. The setting and atmosphere were beautifully described, and there were moments of emotional depth that touched me. However, I found the pacing to be inconsistent, with certain sections dragging on while others were rushed. Additionally, I felt that some of the plotlines were resolved too easily, taking away some of the tension and anticipation I had built up. While it wasn't a terrible read, "The Magic Hour" lacked the substance and complexity I had hoped for.