Sign up
Search
Advanced search settings

Search only in certain items:

Search results
All (1715)
Content
People
Apps
Books
Orbs
Movies
Music
Podcasts
Shows
Tabletop Games
Tech
TV
Video Games
YouTube Channels
Videos
40x40

Merissa (12069 KP) rated Gold Like the Sun (Sol #2) in Books

May 8, 2021  
Gold Like the Sun (Sol #2)
Gold Like the Sun (Sol #2)
Erin Kellison | 2016 | Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Pilar has already had one wedding to Hakan, but now she needs to proceed with the pomp and ceremony on The Hub. Things are fraught here and not always as they seem, so things don't go exactly smoothly. Unfortunately for Hakan, he underestimates Pilar as have so many before him. In his defence though, he is only trying to protect her because he loves her. Pilar is determined to sort things out - both in The Hub and also with Hakan. In doing so, she has a bigger adventure than she anticipated.

This is a well-written and fast-paced book, with no editing or grammatical errors to distract the eye. We learn more about Pilar and Hakan as well as what they have to face. Mica also makes a guest appearance, which was nice to read. A short, fun read full of action and romance. Definitely recommended.

Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
  
40x40

BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated Mission impossible dead reckoning part one (2023) in Movies

Jul 14, 2023  
Mission impossible dead reckoning part one (2023)
Mission impossible dead reckoning part one (2023)
2023 | Action
9
8.5 (8 Ratings)
Movie Rating
What A Summer Blockbuster Movie Should Be
Boy, that Tom Cruise sure knows how to make a crowd-pleasing, summer blockbuster movie.

Fresh off his cinema-saving success with TOP GUN: MAVERICK, Cruise (and Director Christopher McQuarrie) comes back with another giant summer tentpole film - MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: DEAD RECKONING, PART ONE - and they hit it out of the park again.

The 7th film in the Mission Impossible franchise (which debuted, incredibly, 27 years ago), DEAD RECKONING, PART ONE reunites Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) with his band of hero/outlaws to stop yet another world-wide crisis. It’s familiar ground but it is the journey not the destination that makes these types of films work and the journey (which, to be honest, is just an excuse to jump from action set piece to action set piece) is a fun one filled with comfortable characters/actors both old and new.

Besides Cruise (who’s got the Ethan Hunt character down), DR1 is filled with Hunt’s “regular” crew, Luther (Vingh Rhames - the only other actor besides Cruise to be in every MI film), Benji (SImon Pegg - around since MI 3) and Ilsa Faust (Rebecca Ferguson - on board since film 5). These are all familiar, comfortable characters and when the band gets back together about 1/2 way through the film, it felt liking sinking into your couch after a long, hard (but good) day of work to watch your favorite comfort show.

McQuarrie, wisely, populates the rest of the film with new, but comfortably familiar, faces such as Haley Atwell (Agent Carter in the MCU), Shea Wigham (ironically, he played Atwell’s boss in the Agent Carter TV Series), Pom Klementieff as Paris (the name of the character Leonard Nimoy played in the TV Series). Klementieff is also a veteran of the MCU having played Mantis in the Guardians of the Galaxy films, Esai Morales (one of the bosses in NYPD BLUE) and Cary Elwes (the Princess Bride). All bring their “A” game to the adventure and all of them acquit themselves just fine.

Oh…and Henry Czerny reprises his role as Kittridge from the first Mission Impossible film - and it was good to see him, too as was Vanessa Kirby’s re-appearance as Hunt’s “frenemie”, The White Widow (in a role that is a bit more expanded).

But, of course, all of these actors/performances takes a back seat to the action sequences and McQuarrie and Cruise are at the top of their game here. The big action set pieces are a marvel to watch - very enjoyable, exciting, nerve-wracking and easy to follow with some sense of humor rolled in. Unlike another big action flick (that leaned more towards the over-the-top comic-book type action), this Mission Impossible film relies on tension to make these action scenes pop off the screen - and McQuarrie succeeds.

Since this film is labeled as “Part One” you would expect to this film to end on a cliff-hanger and McQuarrie/Cruise were smart about that, too. It is more of “the mission isn’t finished” than a cliff-hanger, which helps this film hold together on it’s own and not just “Part One of a two-parter”.

Very smart, indeed.

A fun romp at the cinema - head out to the biggest screen possible to immerse yourself into this mission, you’ll be glad you did.

Letter Grade: A

9 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)

A fun, escapist, action film that is satisfying (and not dumb), MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: DEAD