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Be entertained with a variety of TV shows and movies from Korea, China, Japan, Taiwan, Thailand,...
David McK (3425 KP) rated Black Widow (2021) in Movies
Aug 8, 2021
The first Marvel movie out of the stables since the start of the Worldwide Covid-19 pandemic; I believe this was originally to be released before the likes of even WandaVision (shown on Disney+).
This was alos released concurrently on Disney+ (behind a paywall) and in the cinema: indeed, this is the very reason for ScarJo's lawsuit against Disney (she says she was told it would be theatres first, then Disney+ and that she only gets a percentage of box office takings).
Anyway, all that aside: this is actually set pre-snap; the majority of it back just after the events of 'Captain America: Civil War' (and thus before 'Avengers: Infinty War'), with Natasha on the run from the US government having broken the Sokovia Accords. It's not long, however, before she receives a package from a previous safe-house (Budapest. Yes, the Budapest mentioned before with Hawkeye: 'remember Budapest?') that leads her into a further adventure, this time involving her surrogate 'family' from when she was undercover in America as a kid in the mid 1990s.
Her 'dad' (David Harbour) 'Red Guardian' steals the show, while Florence Pugh (as her younger 'sister') and Rachel Weisz (as her 'mum') also provide sterling back-up.
Plenty of action, but the film does, perhaps, fall into the common Marvel trap of having a CGI-heavy ending ...
This was alos released concurrently on Disney+ (behind a paywall) and in the cinema: indeed, this is the very reason for ScarJo's lawsuit against Disney (she says she was told it would be theatres first, then Disney+ and that she only gets a percentage of box office takings).
Anyway, all that aside: this is actually set pre-snap; the majority of it back just after the events of 'Captain America: Civil War' (and thus before 'Avengers: Infinty War'), with Natasha on the run from the US government having broken the Sokovia Accords. It's not long, however, before she receives a package from a previous safe-house (Budapest. Yes, the Budapest mentioned before with Hawkeye: 'remember Budapest?') that leads her into a further adventure, this time involving her surrogate 'family' from when she was undercover in America as a kid in the mid 1990s.
Her 'dad' (David Harbour) 'Red Guardian' steals the show, while Florence Pugh (as her younger 'sister') and Rachel Weisz (as her 'mum') also provide sterling back-up.
Plenty of action, but the film does, perhaps, fall into the common Marvel trap of having a CGI-heavy ending ...
David McK (3425 KP) rated The Fallen Sword (The Hundred Years War, #3) in Books
Aug 3, 2024 (Updated Aug 3, 2024)
The third and final entry in AJ MacKenzie's 'The Hundred Years War' series which, truth to be told, did not turn out at all as I expected.
By which I mean I was expecting something Cornwell-like; an action-adventure set during the period of The Hundred Years War between France and England over the throne of France.
What I got instead was a (I felt) slow-burner of a mystery over three novels, with the war really only providing the backdrop as the herald Simon Merrivale investigates a shadowy conspiracy amongst the nobles of both sides
The fault in expectation, of course, was wholly mine.
This follows on from the largely-Scotland set A Clash of Lions, itself following on from A Flight of Arrows, with Merrivale now back in France as the English besiege the key city of Calais. I have to say, I did find parts of this novel to drag on a bit: for me, it never really gripped me as much as parts of the previous entry did. One of those novels (and series) that I'm happy enough to have read, but not to the point where I would - yet - search out more by the author.
By which I mean I was expecting something Cornwell-like; an action-adventure set during the period of The Hundred Years War between France and England over the throne of France.
What I got instead was a (I felt) slow-burner of a mystery over three novels, with the war really only providing the backdrop as the herald Simon Merrivale investigates a shadowy conspiracy amongst the nobles of both sides
The fault in expectation, of course, was wholly mine.
This follows on from the largely-Scotland set A Clash of Lions, itself following on from A Flight of Arrows, with Merrivale now back in France as the English besiege the key city of Calais. I have to say, I did find parts of this novel to drag on a bit: for me, it never really gripped me as much as parts of the previous entry did. One of those novels (and series) that I'm happy enough to have read, but not to the point where I would - yet - search out more by the author.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated G-Force (2009) in Movies
Aug 9, 2019
A 3-D film about Guinea Pigs who help the government using advanced super small technology, at least I knew I wasn’t going to be bored. Was “G-Force” going to be so over the top that even children would find it ridiculous? Maybe it was going to hit big with that famous Disney magic. Suffice to say I entered the film with no expectations.
“G-Force” is the story of a team of unlikely heroes; guinea pigs, a mole, and a fly, who through the aid of special government technology, are completing spy missions with the dream of FBI acceptance. On their first mission out the team lead by the appropriately named guinea pig, Darwin (voiced by Sam Rockwell) discover that the world’s largest electrical device manufacturer has an evil plot for world domination. Attempting to expose the plan, our non-traditional protagonists encounter a numerous obstacles ranging from a lack of government acceptance to rodent chasing dogs.
The plotline in classic Disney fashion is filled with a strong moral under tone specifically concentrated on importance of family and belief in oneself. The film does manage to get these points a crossed while entertaining children who will love the popular culture references and the speed at which the action occurs.
All of the creature’s characterizations are amusing and engaging from the layer cake obsessed long-haired guinea pig, Hurley, (voice by Jon Favreau) to mice who get excited about absolutely everything. Also worth noting was the interesting casting of Zach Galifianakis (most recently of “The Hangover” success) who plays the not so mad scientist, Ben, creator of the multi-faceted “G-Force” technology and animal special task force idea.
The special effects are superb. The 3-D futuristic spy technology at the beginning was so excellent it had me wondering when I will see the medium in action flicks.
The downsides were simple; sometimes-obvious one-liners, which the kid-filled audience seemed to enjoy, and an unnecessary maybe love triangle between three of the heroes.
Not as over the top as expected with plenty of funny moments and fun heartfelt adventure “G-Force” is a worthwhile film for kids and adults alike.
“G-Force” is the story of a team of unlikely heroes; guinea pigs, a mole, and a fly, who through the aid of special government technology, are completing spy missions with the dream of FBI acceptance. On their first mission out the team lead by the appropriately named guinea pig, Darwin (voiced by Sam Rockwell) discover that the world’s largest electrical device manufacturer has an evil plot for world domination. Attempting to expose the plan, our non-traditional protagonists encounter a numerous obstacles ranging from a lack of government acceptance to rodent chasing dogs.
The plotline in classic Disney fashion is filled with a strong moral under tone specifically concentrated on importance of family and belief in oneself. The film does manage to get these points a crossed while entertaining children who will love the popular culture references and the speed at which the action occurs.
All of the creature’s characterizations are amusing and engaging from the layer cake obsessed long-haired guinea pig, Hurley, (voice by Jon Favreau) to mice who get excited about absolutely everything. Also worth noting was the interesting casting of Zach Galifianakis (most recently of “The Hangover” success) who plays the not so mad scientist, Ben, creator of the multi-faceted “G-Force” technology and animal special task force idea.
The special effects are superb. The 3-D futuristic spy technology at the beginning was so excellent it had me wondering when I will see the medium in action flicks.
The downsides were simple; sometimes-obvious one-liners, which the kid-filled audience seemed to enjoy, and an unnecessary maybe love triangle between three of the heroes.
Not as over the top as expected with plenty of funny moments and fun heartfelt adventure “G-Force” is a worthwhile film for kids and adults alike.
Transformers Rescue Bots: Disaster Dash - Hero Run
Entertainment and Education
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Gather the Rescue Bots, rescue citizens and save the world with epic DinoBots! Budge Studios™...
Underworld Ascendant
7.0
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Video Game Watch
Underworld Ascendant is the next-generation follow-up to Ultima Underworld, the critically acclaimed...
action role-playing
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Young Jane Young in Books
Jun 10, 2021
An emotional, character-driven tale
This is the twenty-fifth book in my #atozchallenge! I'm challenging myself to read a book from my shelves that starts with each letter of the alphabet. Let's clear those shelves and delve into that backlist!
YOUNG JANE YOUNG weaves together the story of five women--Rachel Grossman, who worries about her college-aged daughter, Aviva and her future. Jane Young, who lives in Maine with her daughter, Ruby. Ruby Young, who has led a quiet life with her mom, until now. Embeth Levin, the wife of a famous congressman. And Aviva Grossman, who became Internet famous after a terrible scandal. These five women are bound together by this scandal and the man at its center.
This was an interesting read, told from the perspective of each of our female protagonists. Zevin is excellent at portraying different voices, from young Ruby to the older Rachel and Embeth, and I really enjoyed how strong of a storyteller she was. Some of the women's stories were told in unique formats, such as all email or a "choose your own adventure" style. It was different, took a little getting used to, but overall worked for this book.
This is less of an action packed tale than a character-driven one, focused on how Aviva's actions affect everyone going forward. It has a political bent, but centers more around emotion, relationships, and family. It does a good job portraying the double standards applied to women--in politics, in marriage, and more. My favorite character was probably Ruby, but I thought Zevin did a good job of bringing each woman to life and showing their complex feelings and flaws.
I would have liked more of an ending to this story, especially finding out what was next for Ruby and Rachel. But this was an interesting and different read, and I'm glad I picked it up. As always, as I get nearly to the end of the alphabet, I'm glad my challenge has gotten me to choose some books I might not have otherwise.
YOUNG JANE YOUNG weaves together the story of five women--Rachel Grossman, who worries about her college-aged daughter, Aviva and her future. Jane Young, who lives in Maine with her daughter, Ruby. Ruby Young, who has led a quiet life with her mom, until now. Embeth Levin, the wife of a famous congressman. And Aviva Grossman, who became Internet famous after a terrible scandal. These five women are bound together by this scandal and the man at its center.
This was an interesting read, told from the perspective of each of our female protagonists. Zevin is excellent at portraying different voices, from young Ruby to the older Rachel and Embeth, and I really enjoyed how strong of a storyteller she was. Some of the women's stories were told in unique formats, such as all email or a "choose your own adventure" style. It was different, took a little getting used to, but overall worked for this book.
This is less of an action packed tale than a character-driven one, focused on how Aviva's actions affect everyone going forward. It has a political bent, but centers more around emotion, relationships, and family. It does a good job portraying the double standards applied to women--in politics, in marriage, and more. My favorite character was probably Ruby, but I thought Zevin did a good job of bringing each woman to life and showing their complex feelings and flaws.
I would have liked more of an ending to this story, especially finding out what was next for Ruby and Rachel. But this was an interesting and different read, and I'm glad I picked it up. As always, as I get nearly to the end of the alphabet, I'm glad my challenge has gotten me to choose some books I might not have otherwise.
Arkham Horror: The Card Game
7.6
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Tabletop Game
Something evil stirs in Arkham, and only you can stop it. Blurring the traditional lines between...
Merissa (12066 KP) rated Hers, Times Two (Hers #4) in Books
Jun 17, 2021 (Updated Jul 18, 2023)
HERS, TIMES TWO is the fourth book in this series, and although you could read it as a standalone, the question would be WHY? There are three brilliant books before this one that help set up the scene/worlds so why limit yourself to just one?
Anyway, moving back to this one - Liz/Eliza has lusted after Jackal and Zaster for a long time but, due to their complicated pasts, she doesn't feel like they want anything to do with her. Not only that, but she had a drug addiction she is fighting. Zaster and Jackal are closer than brothers but behave oppositely where Liz is concerned.
First of all - I LOVED that this was set with Jax and Alyssa on their ship, rather than on Selenia. Don't get me wrong, I love Selenia and I love seeing how it is changing, but this felt like a tip of the old hat to Jax and Alyssa. Plus, it's always good to see previous characters again.
There is a lot of miscommunication in this book, which makes for an excellent read as they fumble through and try to make things right. Poor Liz has a lot to deal with. Can I just say - where she has to do the injection? Gah!!! That made me do the heebie-jeebie dance every single time.
There is snark and sass, memory loss, action and adventure, plus steamy moments aplenty, for everyone to enjoy. This was a brilliant addition to the series and I enjoyed every word. I absolutely recommend this book, this series, and I can't wait to see if we return to Selenia to see if Young and Cocky find someone!
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jun 17, 2021
Anyway, moving back to this one - Liz/Eliza has lusted after Jackal and Zaster for a long time but, due to their complicated pasts, she doesn't feel like they want anything to do with her. Not only that, but she had a drug addiction she is fighting. Zaster and Jackal are closer than brothers but behave oppositely where Liz is concerned.
First of all - I LOVED that this was set with Jax and Alyssa on their ship, rather than on Selenia. Don't get me wrong, I love Selenia and I love seeing how it is changing, but this felt like a tip of the old hat to Jax and Alyssa. Plus, it's always good to see previous characters again.
There is a lot of miscommunication in this book, which makes for an excellent read as they fumble through and try to make things right. Poor Liz has a lot to deal with. Can I just say - where she has to do the injection? Gah!!! That made me do the heebie-jeebie dance every single time.
There is snark and sass, memory loss, action and adventure, plus steamy moments aplenty, for everyone to enjoy. This was a brilliant addition to the series and I enjoyed every word. I absolutely recommend this book, this series, and I can't wait to see if we return to Selenia to see if Young and Cocky find someone!
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jun 17, 2021
Merissa (12066 KP) rated The Snow Wolf (Wolves Ever After #1) in Books
Jul 10, 2023
THE SNOW WOLF is the first book in the Wolves Ever After series. Now, apparently, this is a spin-off from Ms Holland's Dragons series which I haven't read. I personally don't believe it necessary to have read those to enjoy this, but I will now be reading those anyway, as I love the world they are set in.
Myra hasn't had it easy and has isolated herself from everyone, living her life as a weaver in solitude. Sterling is looking for someone though, and thinks she can help. Being wolf-kin gives him an advantage because he can pick up on signs Myra tries so hard to hide from everyone else. What follows is a story full of action and adventure, with the slow blossoming of love along the way. I loved that neither of them tried to hide how they felt, which could have led to unnecessary arguments or drama. Instead, they are both there for each other, content to see where it goes.
Full of interesting characters and a storyline that will leave you wanting the next book, this was a great read that I thoroughly enjoyed and have no hesitation in recommending. Another winner by this author!
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jul 10, 2023
Myra hasn't had it easy and has isolated herself from everyone, living her life as a weaver in solitude. Sterling is looking for someone though, and thinks she can help. Being wolf-kin gives him an advantage because he can pick up on signs Myra tries so hard to hide from everyone else. What follows is a story full of action and adventure, with the slow blossoming of love along the way. I loved that neither of them tried to hide how they felt, which could have led to unnecessary arguments or drama. Instead, they are both there for each other, content to see where it goes.
Full of interesting characters and a storyline that will leave you wanting the next book, this was a great read that I thoroughly enjoyed and have no hesitation in recommending. Another winner by this author!
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book; the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jul 10, 2023