By Annie Hays, Stuff Writer
Most romance movies that come out on Valentine’s Day are full of kissing. One or both main lovers think their love will solve everything, and end with Mr. Right and Ms. Right being together forever. “Beautiful Creatures” has all of those elements except the last one, because it is based on a series of books and cannot end just yet.
Ethan Wate (Alden Ehrenreich) falls head over heels in love for the new girl in school Lena Ravenwood (Alice Englart) because they are both bookworms who hate the small-town bible-belt atmosphere of Gatlin. However, Lena and her uncle Macon Ravenwood (Jeremy Irons) are trying to keep Ethan away, and he soon discovers why.
Lena is a caster, which is the politically correct term for witch. Female casters are claimed by either the light or the darkness when they turn 16, and Lena will be 16 very soon. Naturally Ethan keeps telling her to stay positive and that she can choose her own fate, but little does he know of her family’s dark history.
Even after being attacked by Lena’s cousin Ridley (Emmy Rossum) and mother Sarafine (Emma Thompson), Ethan is still adamant about loving Lena. But is he too late to help her stop her dark destiny from coming true?
For couples who like supernatural love stories, the movie is a must see. The special effects were not “Avatar” quality, but they made the magic seem real none-the-less. There was quite a bit of refreshing humor to break up the serious parts. Those who read the Beautiful Creatures book series will be a bit disappointed that the movie did not adhere to the books very well.
As a fair warning, this movie is rated PG-13. There is no nudity, but there are several scenes of passionate making out and a good deal of cursing. Kids should not be brought to this movie.
