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Lee (2222 KP) rated The Hitman's Bodyguard (2017) in Movies
Aug 16, 2017
The double act bickering of Reynolds and Jackson (1 more)
Salma Hayek!
Surprisingly Good
I wasn't sure what to make of The Hitman's Bodyguard when I first saw the poster. Movies which try to squeeze some comedy out of two people being thrown together who don't really like each other generally tend to suck. But then I saw the trailer, which made it look entertaining and worth a watch. However, if it hadn't been for the fact that I was away on holiday last week I may well have read some of the early negative reviews and thought about giving it a miss. Luckily though, I was on holiday, I didn't read any reviews and I ended up watching one of the funniest action packed movies I've seen in a while.
Ryan Reynolds is Michael Bryce, a 'Triple-A' bodyguard with a hot girlfriend, nice house, nice car and a smart suit. He likes to make sure that the protection of his clients runs like clockwork (boring is best, as he likes to remind his team!). So when things go badly wrong on a job, Bryce suddenly finds himself way back down the ladder when it comes to landing quality bodyguard roles. Consequently, his expensive lifestyle takes a big hit and we join him 2 years down the line, unshaven and peeing into a bottle while sitting in his beat up car before heading into a job.
Meanwhile, Samuel L Jackson is Darius Kincaid, a hitman being escorted by Interpol from Manchester to testify in Holland at The Hague. The man he is testifying against is warlord Vladislav Dukhovich (Gary Oldman, suitably evil). A nasty piece of work determined to take out anyone with the potential to put him behind bars. So when the escort accompanying Kincaid takes a hit, it becomes clear that someone in Interpol has been leaking their route, and Bryce ends up landing the role of escorting Kincaid for the rest of his trip to The Netherlands. Turns out though that Bryce and Kincaid have history, with Kincaid nearly killing Bryce on 28 previous occasions, so their initial meeting doesn't go too well. Eventually the pair reach enough of an understanding so that they can head out on the road together, down through the English countryside. It's their constant bickering on this road trip that then provides a lot of the humour for the movie. Bryce is pretty particular when it comes to how smoothly these things should be handled, whereas Kincaid just likes to get things done and screw the consequences. The word 'motherfucker' gets used to great effect A LOT by Jackson (as Bryce puts it, “This guy single-handedly ruined the word ‘motherfucker’”) and Bryce continues to be frustrated and amazed at just how 'un-killable' Kincaid appears to be.
It's not very long before the bad guys are on their tail though, leading to a succession of more and more complex action sequences. These hit a real high when everyone reaches The Netherlands, with an exciting chase through the streets and canals of Amsterdam kicking things off nicely. The only complaint with this, and the rest of the action in the movie, is that there does appears to be a never ending supply of bad guys lining up to take them out. Just when you think we're down to the final few, another wave of vehicles appears, all full of weapon waving maniacs! I loved all of the action in the movie, but because of this it does constantly run the risk of seeming a little too dragged out. It's a very fine line.
Before I forget, a special mention to Salma Hayek who stars as the wife of Kincaid. Despite being locked in a cell for the entire movie, she gets more than her fair share of funny lines and action, mainly in flashbacks where we get to see just how much of a foul mouthed bad ass she really is. Taking no crap from anyone, she's brilliant.
Although there's nothing really here that hasn't been done before, it was the brilliant double act of Reynolds and Jackson that really made this worth seeing for me. That, along with the hugely entertaining action sequences. Judging by other reviews though, I think it's just my taste in these movies that's different from most others. I actually hated last years 'The Nice Guys', while everyone else seemed to love it so I guess I'm just going to be in the minority when it comes to this movie too!
Ryan Reynolds is Michael Bryce, a 'Triple-A' bodyguard with a hot girlfriend, nice house, nice car and a smart suit. He likes to make sure that the protection of his clients runs like clockwork (boring is best, as he likes to remind his team!). So when things go badly wrong on a job, Bryce suddenly finds himself way back down the ladder when it comes to landing quality bodyguard roles. Consequently, his expensive lifestyle takes a big hit and we join him 2 years down the line, unshaven and peeing into a bottle while sitting in his beat up car before heading into a job.
Meanwhile, Samuel L Jackson is Darius Kincaid, a hitman being escorted by Interpol from Manchester to testify in Holland at The Hague. The man he is testifying against is warlord Vladislav Dukhovich (Gary Oldman, suitably evil). A nasty piece of work determined to take out anyone with the potential to put him behind bars. So when the escort accompanying Kincaid takes a hit, it becomes clear that someone in Interpol has been leaking their route, and Bryce ends up landing the role of escorting Kincaid for the rest of his trip to The Netherlands. Turns out though that Bryce and Kincaid have history, with Kincaid nearly killing Bryce on 28 previous occasions, so their initial meeting doesn't go too well. Eventually the pair reach enough of an understanding so that they can head out on the road together, down through the English countryside. It's their constant bickering on this road trip that then provides a lot of the humour for the movie. Bryce is pretty particular when it comes to how smoothly these things should be handled, whereas Kincaid just likes to get things done and screw the consequences. The word 'motherfucker' gets used to great effect A LOT by Jackson (as Bryce puts it, “This guy single-handedly ruined the word ‘motherfucker’”) and Bryce continues to be frustrated and amazed at just how 'un-killable' Kincaid appears to be.
It's not very long before the bad guys are on their tail though, leading to a succession of more and more complex action sequences. These hit a real high when everyone reaches The Netherlands, with an exciting chase through the streets and canals of Amsterdam kicking things off nicely. The only complaint with this, and the rest of the action in the movie, is that there does appears to be a never ending supply of bad guys lining up to take them out. Just when you think we're down to the final few, another wave of vehicles appears, all full of weapon waving maniacs! I loved all of the action in the movie, but because of this it does constantly run the risk of seeming a little too dragged out. It's a very fine line.
Before I forget, a special mention to Salma Hayek who stars as the wife of Kincaid. Despite being locked in a cell for the entire movie, she gets more than her fair share of funny lines and action, mainly in flashbacks where we get to see just how much of a foul mouthed bad ass she really is. Taking no crap from anyone, she's brilliant.
Although there's nothing really here that hasn't been done before, it was the brilliant double act of Reynolds and Jackson that really made this worth seeing for me. That, along with the hugely entertaining action sequences. Judging by other reviews though, I think it's just my taste in these movies that's different from most others. I actually hated last years 'The Nice Guys', while everyone else seemed to love it so I guess I'm just going to be in the minority when it comes to this movie too!
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Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated #murdertrending in Books
Jan 23, 2020
<b><i>I received this book for free from in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.</i></b>
<h2><strong>I don't know if this is something related to psychology, but <em>#Murdertrending</em> is both creepy and engrossing at the same time.</strong></h2>
I found myself reading this quicker than I normally would have (if we're not counting the days I procrastinated), and while I should have turned away from this book in horror instantly, I didn't. Maybe that says something about me or human nature in general. 🙈
<h3><em>#Murdertrending</em> gives off <em>Hunger Games</em> vibes</h3>
We have Dee Guerrera, a girl who is supposedly guilty of murdering her stepsister and is sent to Alcatraz 2.0, a prison for those who are convicted of murdering someone. <strong>The entire prison is full of killers, and they never know when they'll be the next person whose murder will be publicized for all to see.</strong> It's <em>Hunger Games</em> without fighting amongst the inmates, or rather capital punishment for the entertainment of millions of people.
(And Death Row Breakfast Club, which is a fitting name for Dee and her friends.)
<h3>I can't tell if I'm disappointed in the last few scenes.</h3>
<em>#Murdertrending</em> gave off that video game vibe sometimes - Press X and get a reagent! - as Dee found herself facing off against the government-sanctioned killers who are in charge of killing the inmates one by one. Fortunately for Dee and the reader's cruel enjoyment, she still has some obstacles in her way.
<h3>To be honest, this felt tied to current politics in the US</h3>
Maybe this is me being very critical and overthinking, but McNeil's latest book felt really relevant to what is currently going on today (added on with the social media snippets). Only this one is more fictionalized and brutal with a lot more death and blood. And heads rolling, among other disturbing things.
<h3><em>#Murdertrending</em> is very plot-driven</h3>
If you're looking for character development, there won't be much of it. McNeil's latest novel is plot-driven to the core, fast-paced and action-packed.
<h3>That ending though...</h3>
I did NOT see that coming - I mean, I <em>should</em> have, but I didn't. McNeil kept me distracted from what was really going on in the story - there is so much going on that I didn't focus on being a step ahead and putting it all together before the story came together on its own.
<h3>This smells of a sequel?!?!?!</h3>
I have no clue if this is true or not (sounds like it is according to various sources and Google searches), but I am all for a sequel if it happens since I am immensely curious about what happens to the characters who survive the first novel. (Do I sound like a horrible person now?)
<h2><em><strong>#Murdertrending</strong></em><strong> is deliciously dark and twisted - it's very plot-driven and action-packed that will keep you turning the pages despite how gross it may make you feel.</strong></h2>
<a href="http://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/murdertrending-by-gretchen-mcneil/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
<h2><strong>I don't know if this is something related to psychology, but <em>#Murdertrending</em> is both creepy and engrossing at the same time.</strong></h2>
I found myself reading this quicker than I normally would have (if we're not counting the days I procrastinated), and while I should have turned away from this book in horror instantly, I didn't. Maybe that says something about me or human nature in general. 🙈
<h3><em>#Murdertrending</em> gives off <em>Hunger Games</em> vibes</h3>
We have Dee Guerrera, a girl who is supposedly guilty of murdering her stepsister and is sent to Alcatraz 2.0, a prison for those who are convicted of murdering someone. <strong>The entire prison is full of killers, and they never know when they'll be the next person whose murder will be publicized for all to see.</strong> It's <em>Hunger Games</em> without fighting amongst the inmates, or rather capital punishment for the entertainment of millions of people.
(And Death Row Breakfast Club, which is a fitting name for Dee and her friends.)
<h3>I can't tell if I'm disappointed in the last few scenes.</h3>
<em>#Murdertrending</em> gave off that video game vibe sometimes - Press X and get a reagent! - as Dee found herself facing off against the government-sanctioned killers who are in charge of killing the inmates one by one. Fortunately for Dee and the reader's cruel enjoyment, she still has some obstacles in her way.
<h3>To be honest, this felt tied to current politics in the US</h3>
Maybe this is me being very critical and overthinking, but McNeil's latest book felt really relevant to what is currently going on today (added on with the social media snippets). Only this one is more fictionalized and brutal with a lot more death and blood. And heads rolling, among other disturbing things.
<h3><em>#Murdertrending</em> is very plot-driven</h3>
If you're looking for character development, there won't be much of it. McNeil's latest novel is plot-driven to the core, fast-paced and action-packed.
<h3>That ending though...</h3>
I did NOT see that coming - I mean, I <em>should</em> have, but I didn't. McNeil kept me distracted from what was really going on in the story - there is so much going on that I didn't focus on being a step ahead and putting it all together before the story came together on its own.
<h3>This smells of a sequel?!?!?!</h3>
I have no clue if this is true or not (sounds like it is according to various sources and Google searches), but I am all for a sequel if it happens since I am immensely curious about what happens to the characters who survive the first novel. (Do I sound like a horrible person now?)
<h2><em><strong>#Murdertrending</strong></em><strong> is deliciously dark and twisted - it's very plot-driven and action-packed that will keep you turning the pages despite how gross it may make you feel.</strong></h2>
<a href="http://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/murdertrending-by-gretchen-mcneil/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
Merissa (12058 KP) rated Knights of Stone: Lachlan (Highland Gargoyles #2) in Books
Aug 23, 2017
Knights of Stone: Lachlan (Highland Gargoyles, #2)
Knights of Stone: Lachlan is the second book in the Highland Gargoyles series. Lachlan is the eldest of the brothers, and the alpha of their small clan left on the island. This book follows on from the ground-work done in Mason. The triad of Gargoyles, Tree Witches, and Wolves, are finally meeting on neutral ground to try and do what is best for the island as a whole, rather than just their group. Of course, it's not going to happen overnight, but any place needs a starting point. Things get interesting for Lachlan when he meets Raina, at the meeting in her capacity as Beta to the Wolves. The spark is there immediately for both of them, and they both deny it! Neither of them trust, or want, to be with the other. However working together gives them a different perspective on each other, and they are thrown in each other's direction.
This is a smoothly paced, action-packed novella in the Highland Gargoyles series, and we get to see more of the Wolf pack. This is a follow-on story, as it only happens because of Mason and Kayla. So I would definitely recommend that you read this in order. With no editing or grammatical errors to disrupt the reading flow, this is a well-rounded book, with wonderful world-building and characters. Definitely recommended by me.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
This is a smoothly paced, action-packed novella in the Highland Gargoyles series, and we get to see more of the Wolf pack. This is a follow-on story, as it only happens because of Mason and Kayla. So I would definitely recommend that you read this in order. With no editing or grammatical errors to disrupt the reading flow, this is a well-rounded book, with wonderful world-building and characters. Definitely recommended by me.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
b.Young (97 KP) rated Escape From Olympus (The Falken Chronicles Book 2) in Books
May 13, 2018
Awesomely imagined world (3 more)
Fantastic plot
Sirius Falken ???
The bad guys
I didn't think this series could get any better, but it did!!!
Ok, y'all! I didn't think Piers Platt was gonna bust out a sequel that was even better than the first book! But. He. Did!
I was engrossed from the first paragraph and found myself wanting to read Escape from Olympus until I couldn't hold my eyes open any longer. It was that good!
Action-packed until the end, Escape from Olympus begins with a bang of a first chapter! It had my heart racing and my mind reeling.
I don't like to post reviews with spoilers, so I will just say that even if you haven't read the first book, Escape from Oz, you can totally get down with this book. It works prerty well as a stand-alone, although you will have missed a tiny bit of background on Falken which may confuse you for a split second in a couple of parts, but it's not vital to enjoy the story at hand.
Piers Platt did an amazing job relating the world of Olympus and its inhabitants. I was also very impressed with the fact that I actually liked the villians because he did such a great job with their personalities. I was completely invested in the fates of ALL characters in this story and I can't remember that ever happening to me in a book like this.
I am waiting dor my weekend to calm down so I can start the third book, Return to Oz! There was an excerpt of the first chapter at the end of this book, and I am so ready!!!
I was engrossed from the first paragraph and found myself wanting to read Escape from Olympus until I couldn't hold my eyes open any longer. It was that good!
Action-packed until the end, Escape from Olympus begins with a bang of a first chapter! It had my heart racing and my mind reeling.
I don't like to post reviews with spoilers, so I will just say that even if you haven't read the first book, Escape from Oz, you can totally get down with this book. It works prerty well as a stand-alone, although you will have missed a tiny bit of background on Falken which may confuse you for a split second in a couple of parts, but it's not vital to enjoy the story at hand.
Piers Platt did an amazing job relating the world of Olympus and its inhabitants. I was also very impressed with the fact that I actually liked the villians because he did such a great job with their personalities. I was completely invested in the fates of ALL characters in this story and I can't remember that ever happening to me in a book like this.
I am waiting dor my weekend to calm down so I can start the third book, Return to Oz! There was an excerpt of the first chapter at the end of this book, and I am so ready!!!
James P. Sumner (65 KP) rated Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019) in Movies
Jun 4, 2019
Visuals (1 more)
Action
A true monster of a movie!
This sequel to the 2014 reboot of Godzilla is an enjoyable movie. It doesn't follow the common trend of "less is more", not wasting any time showing you the visually stunning monsters in all their glory.
The plot is simple enough: Godzilla has been absent since the last movie five years ago. More monsters (called Titans here) have been discovered around the world and the mysterious Monarch group are studying them. Needless to say, it doesn't take long for things to take a turn for the worst, and when a big, bad monster is revived and starts destroying things, our old pal Godzilla returns.
This is one of those movies where you leave your brain and the real world at the door, and just enjoy it for what it is. There's a lot of criticism aimed at modern movies for overusing CGI, but this film needs it and uses it very well. The monsters look incredible, and genuinely look massive. The battles and subsequent destruction look amazing, too. It's a real treat for the eyes, packed with many WOW! moments.
Is it perfect? No. As graphically stunning as it is, the plot leaves a lot to be desired. Riddled with tiny (and the odd large) plot holes, it's a pretty basic storyline. But then, it doesn't need to be overly complex in a movie like this one.
No one comes to a Godzilla movie expecting Oscar-worthy performances and Aaron Sorkin-esque screenplays. They come to be entertained. And you will be here. Well worth stepping away from life for a couple of hours. Don't forget your popcorn!
The plot is simple enough: Godzilla has been absent since the last movie five years ago. More monsters (called Titans here) have been discovered around the world and the mysterious Monarch group are studying them. Needless to say, it doesn't take long for things to take a turn for the worst, and when a big, bad monster is revived and starts destroying things, our old pal Godzilla returns.
This is one of those movies where you leave your brain and the real world at the door, and just enjoy it for what it is. There's a lot of criticism aimed at modern movies for overusing CGI, but this film needs it and uses it very well. The monsters look incredible, and genuinely look massive. The battles and subsequent destruction look amazing, too. It's a real treat for the eyes, packed with many WOW! moments.
Is it perfect? No. As graphically stunning as it is, the plot leaves a lot to be desired. Riddled with tiny (and the odd large) plot holes, it's a pretty basic storyline. But then, it doesn't need to be overly complex in a movie like this one.
No one comes to a Godzilla movie expecting Oscar-worthy performances and Aaron Sorkin-esque screenplays. They come to be entertained. And you will be here. Well worth stepping away from life for a couple of hours. Don't forget your popcorn!
Phillip McSween (751 KP) rated The Girl With All the Gifts (2017) in Movies
Mar 22, 2018
Wanted it to be Better
In the midst of a zombie outbreak, a special military agency is studying a select group of kids who can manage to control when they "turn". When their base falls to zombies, a small group escapes, including a little girl zombie by the name of Melanie (Sennia Nanua). The group must rely on each other to survive the threats waiting for them at every turn.
The Girl With All the Gifts grabs you with intrigue right from the start as you ask yourself why the kids are guarded so heavily. You quickly come to find out the reason. The film is action-packed, loaded with excellent thrilling scenes that keep you engaged. The scenes can be extremely tense in moments like one scene where the group has to walk quietly through a herd of zombies without being detected. It's definitely an original spin on a zombie film as it centers around the little girl Melanie who's innocent, but also a monster of sorts.
So with all these positive things to say, why didn't I ultimately like the film? The ending absolutely killed it for me. Not only did I not see the value in the resolution, I thought it didn't really match Melanie's character. Based on everything we knew about her up to that point, why make that move? Wasn't on board, not by a long shot.
I thought The Girl With All the Gifts had great potential and achieved it in some spots, but feel just short of being what it should have been. I give it a 65.
The Girl With All the Gifts grabs you with intrigue right from the start as you ask yourself why the kids are guarded so heavily. You quickly come to find out the reason. The film is action-packed, loaded with excellent thrilling scenes that keep you engaged. The scenes can be extremely tense in moments like one scene where the group has to walk quietly through a herd of zombies without being detected. It's definitely an original spin on a zombie film as it centers around the little girl Melanie who's innocent, but also a monster of sorts.
So with all these positive things to say, why didn't I ultimately like the film? The ending absolutely killed it for me. Not only did I not see the value in the resolution, I thought it didn't really match Melanie's character. Based on everything we knew about her up to that point, why make that move? Wasn't on board, not by a long shot.
I thought The Girl With All the Gifts had great potential and achieved it in some spots, but feel just short of being what it should have been. I give it a 65.
Sean Farrell (9 KP) rated Touch in Books
Mar 15, 2018
I can't say I really expected the 2nd novel published by the pseudonymous Claire North to be as good as the 1st ("The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August"), but luckily for me my expectations were handily exceeded. Our protagonist, Kepler, is a being that is able to occupy the body of any person simply by touching them and jumping into their skin. As a result, Kepler, whose sex is never stated, has been able to survive for many lifetimes as a variety of hosts. Things begin with both Kepler, and its current host being framed for several murders and pursued by a mysterious organization, which exists solely to hunt down those with this unique ability. I can't say much more without giving things away, but suffice it to say things move pretty briskly from the get go. Many interesting characters are met along the way, both in the present and in the many flashbacks to Kepler's past "lives", and there are several instances that smartly reference common experiences to make one wonder if just maybe, such a thing could be possible. When we reach the conclusion I didn't really want it to end, but what an ending it is, with an action packed chase sequence that takes place somewhere I won't mention, which would make for a spectacular movie setpiece. This had somewhat fewer "cerebral" moments than Ms. North's previous book, but it was still a smartly plotted and incredibly fun read. Fans of "Harry August" or the films of Christopher Nolan (who, incidentally, would be perfect to make a movie of this) will love it.
Merissa (12058 KP) rated Courage (The Dreughan #1) in Books
Oct 30, 2018
Courage (The Dreughan #1) by Lena North
Courage is the first book in the Dreughan series, which I bought after reading and loving Seaborn.
What can I say about this? First of all, Vilda is the absolute star of the show - which is only right being as it is her book! She is a very mature character, for all her physical age is young. Just think back to medieval times, and consider they married at fourteen, and then things will make more sense. I loved how Sannah and Troy were there for her, even more so when we heard the reasons for that. As for the Dreughan crew, I loved all of them. Absolutely and utterly.
This is a great story, intricate enough to keep an adult happy whilst still being action packed enough to keep the younger readers engrossed. This is the first book in a trilogy, so don't expect everything to be wrapped up in this book. This IS the only book with Vilda as the main focus though, which just makes the other books just as interesting as this one.
If I am being 100% honest here, I will say there were a couple of errors in this book. Just words misspelt, but still, the writing was so good I am more than happy to overlook those as they definitely didn't impact my enjoyment of the story at all.
I have gone from this book straight into Reason. I am LOVING this series, and can't recommend it highly enough. Absolutely fantastic.
* Verified Purchase ~ July 2018. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
What can I say about this? First of all, Vilda is the absolute star of the show - which is only right being as it is her book! She is a very mature character, for all her physical age is young. Just think back to medieval times, and consider they married at fourteen, and then things will make more sense. I loved how Sannah and Troy were there for her, even more so when we heard the reasons for that. As for the Dreughan crew, I loved all of them. Absolutely and utterly.
This is a great story, intricate enough to keep an adult happy whilst still being action packed enough to keep the younger readers engrossed. This is the first book in a trilogy, so don't expect everything to be wrapped up in this book. This IS the only book with Vilda as the main focus though, which just makes the other books just as interesting as this one.
If I am being 100% honest here, I will say there were a couple of errors in this book. Just words misspelt, but still, the writing was so good I am more than happy to overlook those as they definitely didn't impact my enjoyment of the story at all.
I have gone from this book straight into Reason. I am LOVING this series, and can't recommend it highly enough. Absolutely fantastic.
* Verified Purchase ~ July 2018. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!