So, I'm few years late into this, but... RUBY RED TRILOGY
- Mira
- May 12, 2019
- 11 min read
Who am I kidding? Yes, I got into the Ruby Red Trilogy because I am so into Jannis Niewohner right now. That man, IS SO GOOD. I don't even know when or how to stop. I am exploring more and more of his acting gigs cause, I wanna know more. I want to find his faults too (Up until now, he's perfect. But how should I know, I don't speak German. Spill me some tea if you find anything on him. JK)
Anyway, I've read all the books and the film. Let me tell you this, this is the first trilogy or film series that its films are so much better than the books.
I guess this entry will be both, a book review and also a film review. Reviews that are years too late. Nobody wants to know about it but I just need to talk about this trilogy. I can't seem to shut up about it.
This is probably the first ever series, adaptation that its films were better than the books.
SPOILER ALERT cause... this review is full of them. This film has been for years so, there's no point in keeping it spoiler free.
THE BOOK
I started reading Ruby Red out of curiosity. I don't know why I find myself having a hard time liking Gwen in the first few chapters of the novel, but it picked up and I learn to like her as I go on with the book. I guess I didn't like her rebellious, 'I don't care about other things' attitude. However, her attitude comes in handy later on. Ruby Red felt like, an introduction to me. An explanation of all these shady organization that runs the whole time travelling business. The writer wrote about how Gwen finds it hard to adjust to all these bizarre new lifestyle that she has to get used to. I find her feelings for Gideon developed a bit too fast, but it's good to know that even the writer made Gwen questions how fast she's falling for him.
We find Gideon having a bit of a hard time liking Gwen in the first book and I totally get it. All these while training to make things right and suddenly Gwen comes in and basically makes his job harder when he expected it to be much easier for him.
In Sapphire Blue, I felt like this is where their relationship blossomed, it focused more on the whole basis of Gideon and Gwen's relationship. It was tested and it was jeopardised, at some point I forgot a bit about the whole time travelling ordeal. I am not saying I don't like their romance, I like it actually. It's cute. I loveeeee how Gier takes us through all these time period and showcases so much colours to her character. I feel like Sapphire Blue was the book that solidifies their character's arc. At first I didn't like Gwen, as I mentioned in the first book, but in this book, I just love Gwen for being unapologetically (is this even a word?) Gwen. This whole organization is dominated by men and Gwen is really tearing down the patriarch. I love how Gier used all her characters to its full potential in this book, like Gier using Gwen's grandfather, Lucas as an important role into disclosing the whole ordeal of the organization. In this book, you can see how Gideon struggles keeping up with Gwen whom to Gideon, felt like she's ruining a lot of things. She just questions things and I guess the struggles that came to Gideon was the fact that it is so hard to predict Gwen and I guess it made Gideon questions it as well and that's hard when you've worked all your life serving an organization you thought was good. Anyway, I loved the romance and the conflicts.
The main theme of this book was probably about who they could trust. If anyone asks if this book is a time-travelling adventure or a romance, I would say it is more of a romance-time travelling adventure. Oh, and Gier does amazingly at describing where her characters were at different time eras, it wasn't one bit confusing.
In Emerald Green, it was where everything was resolved. A lot of the questions in the second book, began to shed some light in the third book. A lot of exposition happened in the third book. It kinda made me feel like suddenly it's the part where the writer takes out her final weapon for the story but it did felt forced. Like, suddenly Gwen is actually Paul's and Lucy's daughter (which, I suspected since the very first book. I love the duo. They would do EVERYTHING for love) and how she revealed Mr. Whitman, Gwen's English and history teacher is actually the Count. I felt like some of the part of her exposition, could have been done in the second book, she could have put it in somewhere in between of the second book around ALL the romance they had. The third book, in my opinion, wasted a lot of time at places, that aren't really important. I felt like around the last 4 or 5 chapters, they started to get like the whole idea of it all, one by one. So fast, in the span of few chapters. I feel like... 'wow, they had three books they could have used, but they just used the last few chapters to just unravel everything? That's a bit unfair.'
THE ENDING THOUGH. Listen, I love the series, up to the second book, it was still okay and fun. It made me excited and all but THE ENDING FOR THE BOOK WAS SO FREAKING DISAPPOINTING. The whole resolution of the novel happened in the last chapter of the novel like WHO DOES THAT. It felt as if Gier originally wanted to make the third book longer, but somehow she's running out of time and decided 'ALRIGHT LET'S WRAP UP NOW, FUCK GIDEON, FUCK GWEN, FUCK THE COUNT. WE JUST GOTTA END THIS I DON'T HAVE TIME.' I honestly, felt like I was disappointed of the third book. ESPECIALLY THE ENDING. I JUST CAN'T. Also, I've always felt like the writer could have done better with Charlotte's character rather than being a jealous bitch. Like, I'm pretty sure Charlotte's character could have been explored so much better, KERSTIN!! I AM READY TO LOVE CHARLOTTE WHY AREN'T YOU MAKING IT HAPPEN. TELL ME SHE'S JUST MISUNDERSTOOD. SHE'S POWERFUL. WHY CAN'T YOU DO HER JUSTICE????? I'm so disappointed.
Now...
THE MOVIE
I am SO GLAD that the movie doesn't suck... like the poster. This sounds so harsh but honestly when I saw this poster, I didn't want to watch it. I went on looking at other projects from Jannis cause this poster just sucks, I can't. I'm no expert but, THEY COULD HAVE DONE BETTER. The book cover was better. ANYWAY, poster aside, I finally watched the film. I am genuinely surprised at how similar it was to the book. As a reader, I have to say it's every reader's dream to have an adaptation that stays true to the book. I wasn't disappointed. Did I mentioned, I just love Lucy and Paul even more when I saw how compatible they were in the film. They were just so cute. Gideon's long hair? Well, the novel had his long hair, so they can't do anything much about it. Do I like it? No. Of course not. He looked like a Californian surfer. Less like a time traveller. Did he looked uncomfortable in it? Hell yes. Story wise, it was so closely related to the book. The only complain I had was probably from the director. The action scenes were just BAD. The jump Gideon did when he attacked Lady Tilney's people at her house were, mediocre. I know the actors and actresses could have done better. This was really a matter of the direction. I hate, the unnecessary slow motions the director thought would be a good idea. The set, the costumes were done well. The action scene just sucks so bad. Made it look like a B rated film when it's not. That was the only downside.
The poster.... I'm -. I'm not even gonna go there. IT'S TACKY, there I said it. The second movie, it was better than the first film. It was just a lot of fun. There was even a musical scene which was so refreshing. Like the book, the second film focused on how Gwen starts to explore and learn more about the organization on her own cause nobody cared to explain to her. They treated her like a disease. So with the help of her friend, Leslie, she was able to found out so much more about her role in this whole ordeal. She knew she can't trust the count but she didn't know who else would be on her side. She finds herself entangled in Gideon's love but Gideon was still fighting for a different cause and that made it hard. Betrayals, like the book. The second film differs in some parts, like exposing that Gwen is actually Lucy and Paul's daughter. I honestly think that was such a great move because, if they were to wait like the book, fitting it all in the third film, it would be too much, too rush and there would be little to no point of the second film. Love the involvement between Lucas and Gwen. This film is great because they stayed true to the book. Like, so many parts of the book was in the film. It was just amazing. This film, focused on Gwen and Gideon's relationship because TRUST. Is the most important thing. Trusting the wrong person could be really bad. So, this film focused on Gwen's and Gideon's trust on one another. It was tested it a lot of ways and they had every reasons to questions one another because Gideon suspects Gwen, Gwen doesn't trust Gideon wholeheartedly, resulting on her going behind his back on her elapsing. So it's interesting. I didn't have a lot of complain on the second film. LOVE PAUL. HE IS A GREAT FATHER. SUCH LOVING EYES WHEN HE LOOKS AT HIS DAUGHTER. oh... right... THE ACTION SCENE IN THIS FILM is amazing! It was not tacky at all. No unnecessary slow motion, no awkward movements. It was stunning.
Before we get to the third film, let's just remember, I was really unhappy with the third book. In a lot of ways. but listen, credit is given when credit is due.
WHOEVER WROTE THE THIRD MOVIE, DESERVES A WHOLE LOT OF RAISE
EVERYTHING WRONG IN THE THIRD BOOK, WAS MADE RIGHT IN THIS FILM. How amazing is that. Somewhere, someone in the writers room KNEW a lot of the things in the third book DID NOT justified the trilogy. They probably thought to themselves 'Something could have been better' AND ACTUALLY MADE. IT. BETTER. Periodt.
The content of the third book did not felt like it was rushed, it had just the right amount of conflicts, stories and drama in it. The biggest surprise to me was instead of 'killing' Gwen, the writers FREAKING KILLED GIDEON. They actually did that. Homegirl had a funeral for her lover. She freaking did that. Ugh love it. I love how they made the whole ordeal with the Count even bigger. Let me make it into a point form of how the film did this story justice.
1. THE EFFECT OF THE CIRCLE CLOSING IN THE CHRONOGRAPH.
The film even showed the effect of the circles closing. In the book, they highlighted that bad things would happen cause the count would take over a lot of things but nothing was ever made clear, how bad would everything be besides Gwen 'dying'. This film CORRECTED IT.
2. ADDING REAL CONFLICT ONTO THE CHARACTERS
In this film, the writers put the characters in real situation. The count kidnapped Gideon, made him his delivery slave by sending him through time against his will in the dungeon, they took Gwen's chronograph that only left Gideon's blood to fulfill and close the Chronograph. These real actions and consequences put a lot of things at stake. Solidifying the story itself and making sense of why they need to prevent it from happening.
3. THEY FREAKING SALVAGED CHARLOTTE'S CHARACTER
Like I said, I KNEW BY HEART there was a lot to learn about Charlotte. She was more than a nosy sad character who thought she had a gift but turned out she didn't. She was more than a jealous character. She's strong and very driven. THIS MOVIE GAVE HER THE PURPOSE. THIS MOVIE FREAKING SALVAGED HER CHARACTER, sympathizes with her and made her the amazing character she could be that the book destroyed. LISTEN, I love Charlotte now. The film gave her CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT. Something the book did not gave her. It was amazing. Charlotte, ratting out her cousin Gwen, then felt sorry. Protected Gwen and fought the people from the Order for Gwen, went to the country side to fight alongside Gwen. Conspired with Gwen to set Gideon free. LITERALLY HELPED THEM SAVE THE FREAKING WORLD TOGETHER. Charlotte girl, I love you. You're amazing. You might not be able to travel through time but you're amazing.
4. MADE THE STORY MORE INTERESTING
In the book, it focused a lot about Gideon, Gwen, Leslie and Raphael plotting a whole different operation behind the Order's back. They went back through time, pretending to serve them while they went ahead with their own Chronograph to stop the Count from closing the circle of the Chronograph. In the novel, the Count didn't even managed to complete the circle. In the film however, they gave more emotions to the viewers. They let the viewers down, and gave a sense of hope. Which, to me a good story telling would do. In the film, the Count managed to get a hold of the secret that was released after he closed the Chronograph, Heck they even killed Gideon. Everything fell into pieces for me. And slowly they gave the viewers hope in the midst of the chaos when Gwen was able to explore all of her powers. I LOVE IT.
5. THEY UTILIZED THE CHARACTER'S ABILITY
In the book, none of the time travelers were able to go back in time to their own desired time without the chronograph. But in this film, they managed to do that. I love that bit. Making them less dependent on the chronograph. Somehow the use of chronograph gave limitations to them. When they reveal Gwen was able to go back to her own desired time without the chronograph, DAMN IT GAVE ME SO MUCH HOPE LIKE. THIS IS IT!! THIS IS HOW YOU DO IT. Go gwenny! I felt that man. I knew she was gonna go back in time and save Gideon and she did. She even destroyed the chronograph.
6. THE ENDING
The finale of the book was extremely upsetting. It was at the point when Mr Whitman revealed, he was the Count afterall and he threatened Gwen to kill Gideon and that gave a bit of a tension, AND THEN THE COUNT WAS EASILY KILLED WITH A GUNSHOT, BY the doctor ( I forgot his name), before Gideon even put in his blood in the chronograph. (if i'm not mistaken. I forgot whose blood was left. I know there was only one person left.) I'm like... COME ON... THAT WAS IT???? And as it turns out, Gideon drank the elixir, the secret from the Chronograph that Lucy and Paul stole. Making him, survive the attack. Gwen, and Gideon became immortal. The thought of them living for eternity together was cute but like... okay...
The film however, as I mentioned, gave the Count a head's up, got him the elixir and everything was reversed when Gwen went back in time and saved Gideon, destroyed the Chronograph, which also meant killing the Count (Mr Whitman). Still injured Gideon, but saved him and Gwen ended up giving away her immortality by drinking the elixir, undoing her immortality to grow old with Gideon.
That was a better ending. The movie gave all the characters, their cause, their struggles and sacrifices WORTH more than a freaking gunshot and ended the story. Not only that, they made Charlotte and Gwen became closer afterwards. That's just. THAT'S AMAZING.
There you have it... All my rants and love and reviews on the whole Ruby Red trilogy. I think this is the longest entry I've written so far. Overall, this series was interesting and fun. I like it. I don't hate it. Would I recommend the series to others? Yeah, probably.
These are my scores:
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