Vampire Academy: Blood Sisters

So this is a movie I've been waiting to see for about a year now. Pretty much since it was announced it was gonna be made. I've read the first three books, and am in the process of reading the fouth at the moment. So I was totally ready to see it on Valentines Day this year, but then, the company responsible for it's release here in Denmark, decided that, based on the lukewarm reception and ticket sale of the American release, that they didn't want to release it here after all. Meaning, that I had to wait for it to be released on DVD. So I did. BUT NOW ONTO THE MOVIE! (I just wanted to share my pain).

Now, it's been about around a year or so since I've read the book, so only like the main points stand out in my mind when I think about it, so I can't tell you exactly if it's a 100% true to the books, but I think that's a good thing. (Especially after what I experienced with watching Divergent right after rereading the book)
First off, before I start babbling about the movie, I'm just gonna give a quick recap of the movie and what it's about if you don't know.

The movie is about  Rose Hathaway is a Dhampir, a bodyguard for her best friend Lissa, a Moroi Vampire Princess. They've been on the run, but now they’re being dragged back to St. Vladimir’s—the very place where they’re most in danger. St. Vladimir’s Academy is a boarding school where vampires are educated in the ways of magic and half-human teens train to protect them.

Our dear Lissa has to feed of Rose to survive.

The movie starts off great, following the book nicely, and moving at a decent pace. We are quickly introduced our main leads, Rose and Lissa and their friendship and current predicament. Thanks to Zoey Deutch who portrays her. She really gives Rose the spunk and sass she needs, but also shows us early on that in the beginning Rose is pretty much all talk no bite when it comes to real danger. She still has much to learn, our little warrior.

Lissa on the other hand, perhaps takes some time to like, but that's because when we meet her she is a troubled scared girl, who dislikes violence and just wants to fit in and stay low. But eventually she opens up and shows off a whole new side to her and you either like that side or not. I did, because I knew what was going on with her and could understand it. And I think even if I hadn't read the book, I would still feel that way. But besides Rose and Lissa the movie offers up another wide range of great characters. One of my favourite ones from the book was Natalie Dashkov, because at one point or another in our life, we've all been her. Just a little awkward and shy and wanting to be more.

And I like her cute attempts at optimism.

But another great character, that I had hoped to see more of, since I loved him the books, was Rose's friend Mason. But I guess he is more prominent and important to the plot in the second book. (so here's to a second movie!). He was just the right amount of friend to Rose but also the friend who is in love with Rose. I didn't feel at any time that we should pity him for linking a girl who just wants to be friends, or that we should hate Rose for "stringing him along" with hugs and kisses on the cheek. He seemed to have accepted that if he can't be her boyfriend, then he'd just be her friend and not make it weird for any of them. He just wants to be around her and be there for her when she needs it.

"Surely you have something more interesting to discuss than my ass?" - "Your boobies?"

And I just really liked that, because they've could have easily turned the whole thing into a typical love triangle, just because it is a teenage movie. And because some movie studios and writers have this crazy idea that young people love the infamous love triangle. (we don't). And then besides the friends of our main leads, we have the mean blonde high school girl, who appears in this movie in the form of Mia Rinaldi. And she was just as mean and evil as in the book. But like a likeable mean girl? Like, you understand why she's mean and I like when the villains have believable motives. And oh, then there's the love interests to our heroines Rose and Lissa.

The serious Dimitri Belikov with the glorious flowing hair.

The smouldering Christian Ozera with the amazing jaw.

They both have great chemistry with their romantic counterparts and I love how the romantic parts of the girls lives were not the important parts. Again, they didn't make the movie about boys and love. And gosh, did I love Christian and Rose bickering at each other, it just showed how much they both care about Lissa. And I also really liked that they actually cast someone who looks the part age wise. He looks just old enough for the age issue between Rose and Dimiti to feel realistic. And their age appropriate behaviour just furthers that point.