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Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Call of duty: Black ops III - The Awakening in Video Games
Jun 19, 2019
Fans of Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 who plays on the PC or Xbox One can now experience the first of four planned DLC packs with the release of The Awakening. The packs contain four new maps and a new Zombie mode episode which expands the multiplayer experience which has always been a staple of the series.
The first map is The Gauntlet which is a facility divide into various zones. There is a jungle zone, a frozen zone, and one where it rains as you go down an urban street. This map will test your skills as there are numerous areas for enemies to trap, snipe, and hide. It is also very detailed and will force you to remember not to stop and look at the scenery.
The second map is called Splash and this was the most colorful map of any DLC yet. Set in a water park, players can duck down water slides; hide in pools, gift shops and more. Being able to slide down a tube run and come up firing made this really fun. There are many places to explore but also several places for an enemy player to strike from so be on your toes for anything.
Rise is the third map and it is set in a cold construction yard. There are plenty of walls to wall run as well as large open areas where snipers will happily pick you off. The close quarters of the buildings makes for some intense action up close and one that you will want to make sure to prepare for.
Skyjacked rounds out the set as this is an updated map based on the popular Hijacked map from Black Ops 2. Instead of a boat, this time players must battle on a flying ship, but thankfully anyone who has logged time with the original may think they have a leg up, but there are plenty of new twists to be found.
Zombie fans will love Der Eisendrache which allows up to four players to battle Zombies and other forces of evil in a Castle complete with curved stairs, snow, and even a dragon.
The Awakening is a nice addition to the series as it provides new content which will make me want to spend more time with the game as after reaching a few levels of Prestige I found myself looking for a break and The Awakening is just the call I needed to return to duty.
http://sknr.net/2016/03/04/call-of-duty-black-ops-3-the-awakening-dlc/
The first map is The Gauntlet which is a facility divide into various zones. There is a jungle zone, a frozen zone, and one where it rains as you go down an urban street. This map will test your skills as there are numerous areas for enemies to trap, snipe, and hide. It is also very detailed and will force you to remember not to stop and look at the scenery.
The second map is called Splash and this was the most colorful map of any DLC yet. Set in a water park, players can duck down water slides; hide in pools, gift shops and more. Being able to slide down a tube run and come up firing made this really fun. There are many places to explore but also several places for an enemy player to strike from so be on your toes for anything.
Rise is the third map and it is set in a cold construction yard. There are plenty of walls to wall run as well as large open areas where snipers will happily pick you off. The close quarters of the buildings makes for some intense action up close and one that you will want to make sure to prepare for.
Skyjacked rounds out the set as this is an updated map based on the popular Hijacked map from Black Ops 2. Instead of a boat, this time players must battle on a flying ship, but thankfully anyone who has logged time with the original may think they have a leg up, but there are plenty of new twists to be found.
Zombie fans will love Der Eisendrache which allows up to four players to battle Zombies and other forces of evil in a Castle complete with curved stairs, snow, and even a dragon.
The Awakening is a nice addition to the series as it provides new content which will make me want to spend more time with the game as after reaching a few levels of Prestige I found myself looking for a break and The Awakening is just the call I needed to return to duty.
http://sknr.net/2016/03/04/call-of-duty-black-ops-3-the-awakening-dlc/
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated The Commuter (2018) in Movies
Jun 19, 2019
Michael MacCauley (Liam Neeson) is a devoted husband, father, and provider who commutes by train every day for ten years to his New York office to provide for his family. Michael is facing big pressures as he has a son about to go to college and another ready to follow behind him. When Michael tells a client he lost his savings when the markets fell, he is leveraged deep and looking for help.
When his job is abruptly ended five years from retirement, Michael is unsure of how he will reveal the news to his wife. After a few drinks with his ex-partner Lt. Alex Murphy (Patrick Wilson), Michael opens up about his situation and how things seemed simpler at times when he was on the force.
On his way home, Michael has his phone stolen and is in time approached by a mysterious lady (Vera Farmiga), who gives him a hypothetical scenario which could be worth 100K to Michael.
Michael scoffs at the idea and then learns the offer is very serious and has very serious and deadly consequences to his family, fellow riders, and one mysterious and unknown passenger that Michael is tasked with finding before the train reaches its destination.
Under constant surveillance and unsure who he can trust, Michael is an a race against time to unravel the situation he finds himself in and needs every ounce of his wits and prior police experience to protect those he loves.
What follows is a fast paced, intense, but at times reaching film that does offer some excitement and thrills as long as you are willing to overlook various plot holes. The film moves briskly and has a good amount of intensity, but has plenty of holes that has you wondering why certain paths were and were not taken and requires leaps of faith to work.
The final act does become very “Hollywood” and detracts from a promising setup and the big twist was one that I saw coming a way off, but I often see twists in film early as that is simply how my mind works. The film could have been easily dismissed at times but the charismatic Neeson always holds your attention even when the material is thin.
In the end “The Commuter” is an entertaining film that delivers some fun thrills and suspense as long as you are willing to temper your expectations and overlook the issues.
http://sknr.net/2018/01/10/the-commuter/
When his job is abruptly ended five years from retirement, Michael is unsure of how he will reveal the news to his wife. After a few drinks with his ex-partner Lt. Alex Murphy (Patrick Wilson), Michael opens up about his situation and how things seemed simpler at times when he was on the force.
On his way home, Michael has his phone stolen and is in time approached by a mysterious lady (Vera Farmiga), who gives him a hypothetical scenario which could be worth 100K to Michael.
Michael scoffs at the idea and then learns the offer is very serious and has very serious and deadly consequences to his family, fellow riders, and one mysterious and unknown passenger that Michael is tasked with finding before the train reaches its destination.
Under constant surveillance and unsure who he can trust, Michael is an a race against time to unravel the situation he finds himself in and needs every ounce of his wits and prior police experience to protect those he loves.
What follows is a fast paced, intense, but at times reaching film that does offer some excitement and thrills as long as you are willing to overlook various plot holes. The film moves briskly and has a good amount of intensity, but has plenty of holes that has you wondering why certain paths were and were not taken and requires leaps of faith to work.
The final act does become very “Hollywood” and detracts from a promising setup and the big twist was one that I saw coming a way off, but I often see twists in film early as that is simply how my mind works. The film could have been easily dismissed at times but the charismatic Neeson always holds your attention even when the material is thin.
In the end “The Commuter” is an entertaining film that delivers some fun thrills and suspense as long as you are willing to temper your expectations and overlook the issues.
http://sknr.net/2018/01/10/the-commuter/
Darren (1599 KP) rated Blood Myth (2019) in Movies
Oct 31, 2019
Characters – James Lincoln is a journalist, his latest case involves in trying to debunk folklore which he is finding all too easy, until he learns about this newest one, which he decides to use as his final part of the article, he takes his fiancée who is pregnant and he has cheated on before to investigate. He spends time trying to find his missing fiancée learning that not everything is a myth. Harriet is the pregnant wife that joins James on his journey, she does disappear, being the mystery about what is going on. Alexandra is the local woman that has been studying the myth for years, being the only person that helps James out. We do meet plenty of locals, with most just dismissing James cries for help.
Performances – Jonathan McClean is the star of the show, he is involved in nearly every scene, it is his work dealing with being tired of the investigations, which is clear how he is dealing with this story. The rest of the cast don’t get much time to do anything more than the basics required, not given enough time to do much more.
Story – The story follows a journalist that is investigating myths and folklores with the latest one being one that might have more truths behind it. The story is interesting because it does show how frustrated the journalist is doing this story, which is against the normal as we usually see overly enthusiastic ghost hunters trying to debunk them. The story flows as James learns more about everything, but just like him, we don’t learn much about what is happening until he does. We do get plenty of mystery, but like most films like this the story ends up going in the same direction.
Horror – The horror in this film comes from the unknown, this does leave us wondering just what is going on, with the darkness and noise being used to the strongest effects.
Settings – The film is set in a small British village, which does help play into the folklore because the small villages are always going to have them.
Special Effects – The effects are saved for big moments in the film, they are kept hidden more than thrown onto the audience.
Scene of the Movie – The day after the first night.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – Too much searching though.
Final Thoughts – This is a horror that does ask plenty of questions, with what is going on, only to follow a simple instruction on how everything ends up unfolding.
Overall: Folklore horror 101
Performances – Jonathan McClean is the star of the show, he is involved in nearly every scene, it is his work dealing with being tired of the investigations, which is clear how he is dealing with this story. The rest of the cast don’t get much time to do anything more than the basics required, not given enough time to do much more.
Story – The story follows a journalist that is investigating myths and folklores with the latest one being one that might have more truths behind it. The story is interesting because it does show how frustrated the journalist is doing this story, which is against the normal as we usually see overly enthusiastic ghost hunters trying to debunk them. The story flows as James learns more about everything, but just like him, we don’t learn much about what is happening until he does. We do get plenty of mystery, but like most films like this the story ends up going in the same direction.
Horror – The horror in this film comes from the unknown, this does leave us wondering just what is going on, with the darkness and noise being used to the strongest effects.
Settings – The film is set in a small British village, which does help play into the folklore because the small villages are always going to have them.
Special Effects – The effects are saved for big moments in the film, they are kept hidden more than thrown onto the audience.
Scene of the Movie – The day after the first night.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – Too much searching though.
Final Thoughts – This is a horror that does ask plenty of questions, with what is going on, only to follow a simple instruction on how everything ends up unfolding.
Overall: Folklore horror 101
Darren (1599 KP) rated Veronica Mars (2014) in Movies
Jul 25, 2019
Story: Veronica Mars starts as Veronica Mars (Bell) fills the fans of the show in with the last few years of her life after the television show finished and gave us first time viewers a chance to get a basic grip of who the main characters are going to be.
Veronica is now about to take her bar exam, but when her ex-boyfriend Logan Echolls (Dohring) is accused of killing his celebrity girlfriend, Veronica returns home to get to the bottom of the crime, re-living her private eye ways and catching up with old friends.
Thoughts on Veronica Mars
Characters – Veronica Mars is the former private eye that has moved on to study law only to learn a former friend has been accused of murder. The character gets to return to see old friends to see where they are in life now and how things have changed, in the biggest case of her life. Logan Echolls is the ex-boyfriend of Veronica that has been accused of murder, he needs her help to prove his innocence.
Performances – Kristen Bell made this role her own on television and now you can see her own enjoyment of returning to this role. Jason Bohring is solid enough in the role of the suspect. It would be fair to say the whole returning cast enjoyed coming back and it worked for the film.
Story – The story plays into the hands of the fans of the show wonderfully, the problem comes if you never saw the show, you will never understand the moments between characters in this movie. This isn’t a film for people that never saw the show, but it does bring our character back to her old role to see where friends are which is always a nice touch for popular shows.
Crime/Mystery – The crime mystery tone is everything the TV show kept up with the light-hearted comic tone of the movie, with plenty of mystery moments to keep us guessing.
Settings – The settings do help the fans of the original show that have returned to their favourite show, seeing all the places we saw their favourite characters.
Scene of the Movie – Reunion.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – Not knowing enough from the TV show.
Final Thoughts – This is a wonderful treat for the fans of the show, catching up with our favourite characters is something we all like to do and this is no different.
Overall: Good TV show to movie.
Veronica is now about to take her bar exam, but when her ex-boyfriend Logan Echolls (Dohring) is accused of killing his celebrity girlfriend, Veronica returns home to get to the bottom of the crime, re-living her private eye ways and catching up with old friends.
Thoughts on Veronica Mars
Characters – Veronica Mars is the former private eye that has moved on to study law only to learn a former friend has been accused of murder. The character gets to return to see old friends to see where they are in life now and how things have changed, in the biggest case of her life. Logan Echolls is the ex-boyfriend of Veronica that has been accused of murder, he needs her help to prove his innocence.
Performances – Kristen Bell made this role her own on television and now you can see her own enjoyment of returning to this role. Jason Bohring is solid enough in the role of the suspect. It would be fair to say the whole returning cast enjoyed coming back and it worked for the film.
Story – The story plays into the hands of the fans of the show wonderfully, the problem comes if you never saw the show, you will never understand the moments between characters in this movie. This isn’t a film for people that never saw the show, but it does bring our character back to her old role to see where friends are which is always a nice touch for popular shows.
Crime/Mystery – The crime mystery tone is everything the TV show kept up with the light-hearted comic tone of the movie, with plenty of mystery moments to keep us guessing.
Settings – The settings do help the fans of the original show that have returned to their favourite show, seeing all the places we saw their favourite characters.
Scene of the Movie – Reunion.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – Not knowing enough from the TV show.
Final Thoughts – This is a wonderful treat for the fans of the show, catching up with our favourite characters is something we all like to do and this is no different.
Overall: Good TV show to movie.
Phil Leader (619 KP) rated The Grim Company in Books
Nov 14, 2019
The Grim Company aims to deliver a swords and sorcery tail in the epic mould while being gritty, grimy and dirty in detail. And to a very large extent it suceeds, managing to tell a tale of war between city states from the point of view of some of the characters cauught up in it.
One thing that is always hard to do when starting out on a new story is to get used to the characters. The author must balance the need to ensure that enough time is spent to flesh out each character as they are introduced without overwhelming the reader and Scull is adept at this, the first few chapters detailing some of the misadventures, goals and dreams of the main characters.
And what characters they are. Cole is a young hero with a magical blade, who's destiny is to free the city of Dorminia from the tyrant Salazar, while at the same time being a real catch for any pretty girls. Or so he sees himself. To everyone else he is vain, boastful and arrogant. Jerek is a barbarian who has the market cornered in foul language, pithy insults and scowling at everything. Also good is Barandas, head of the elite guard of the city who is just trying to do his job.
The obvious author to compare Scull to is Joe Abercrombie, and the comparison is a fair one although (in this book) Scull doesn't quite manage to create the depth and range in Abercrombie's characters and situations. So although they aren't really classic fantasy archetypes, they are still close and don't subvert them. What Scull does bring is a little less cynicism than Abercrombie. Here it is worth fighting for what you believe is right, and honour still has value. This gives it a rather refreshing feeling.
The book also has strength in being the first of a series so it doesn't have to be a stand alone story and can leave enough threads for the next book to pick up. This allows the end, after a frenetic climactic battle, to relax into telling the aftermath rather than spending too much time trying to tie up all the loose ends.
Overall a good book for the fantasy lover. Not as grim or dark as 'grimdark' but still with enough spit and sawdust to add an underbelly to the reliable fantasy concepts it should appeal to a wide audience.
Rated: Strong language, bloody violence and some sexual references throughout
One thing that is always hard to do when starting out on a new story is to get used to the characters. The author must balance the need to ensure that enough time is spent to flesh out each character as they are introduced without overwhelming the reader and Scull is adept at this, the first few chapters detailing some of the misadventures, goals and dreams of the main characters.
And what characters they are. Cole is a young hero with a magical blade, who's destiny is to free the city of Dorminia from the tyrant Salazar, while at the same time being a real catch for any pretty girls. Or so he sees himself. To everyone else he is vain, boastful and arrogant. Jerek is a barbarian who has the market cornered in foul language, pithy insults and scowling at everything. Also good is Barandas, head of the elite guard of the city who is just trying to do his job.
The obvious author to compare Scull to is Joe Abercrombie, and the comparison is a fair one although (in this book) Scull doesn't quite manage to create the depth and range in Abercrombie's characters and situations. So although they aren't really classic fantasy archetypes, they are still close and don't subvert them. What Scull does bring is a little less cynicism than Abercrombie. Here it is worth fighting for what you believe is right, and honour still has value. This gives it a rather refreshing feeling.
The book also has strength in being the first of a series so it doesn't have to be a stand alone story and can leave enough threads for the next book to pick up. This allows the end, after a frenetic climactic battle, to relax into telling the aftermath rather than spending too much time trying to tie up all the loose ends.
Overall a good book for the fantasy lover. Not as grim or dark as 'grimdark' but still with enough spit and sawdust to add an underbelly to the reliable fantasy concepts it should appeal to a wide audience.
Rated: Strong language, bloody violence and some sexual references throughout
Phil Leader (619 KP) rated The Novice (Black Magician Trilogy, #2) in Books
Nov 21, 2019
The Novice is the second book in The Black Magician trilogy and continues the story of Sonea, the slum girl who discovers she has magical powers.
A few months after the first book, Sonea is offically inducted as a novice into the Magician's Guild in Imardin. She is immediately looked down on by her fellow novices and indeed other magicians because of her poor upbringing (magicians always being taken from the families of the rich upper class). One novice in particular will go to any lengths to humiliate her. Meanwhile Sonea is hiding a secret. The High Lord of the Guild is practicing black magic, strictly forbidden. Dannyl is sent on a secret mission by Lorlen to try to discover how the High Lord won these powers and if there is anything that can be done to stop him.
I found this book to be far more satisfying than the first book, The Magician's Guild. I think this is due to two factors. Firstly Canavan's writing is far more confident and assured (not surprising for a second novel). Also the story arc is a lot less predictable and allows for more twists and turns since the end is not inevitable (in the first novel it is clear that Sonea will eventually be joining the guild; it is only the sub-plots that provide suprises).
As a consequence this is an easier read than the first book with plenty of good stories, either Sonea's (mis)adventures in the Guild or Dannyl's voyage of discovery on his travels. The end resolves one of the major plot points, leaving the rest for the third book, The High Lord to investigate.
Canavan touches on various topics during the book, particularly bullying by peers and also some nice observations on repression of homosexuality in the intolerant Imardin society.
It is also welcoming to see more of the land; the first book was bound to the city itself but here through Dannyl we get to see the neighbouring lands and discover some of their peoples and customs, together with a fair amount of hazardous travelling.
The magic system is also key; normally magicians throw around a bewildering array of spells with limitless powers. Clearly this isn't an option in these books and each spell and power Sonea learns is neatly and logically explained and consistant. It really makes a change that the magic spells are treated mechanically rather than as, well, 'magic'.
Definitely a recommended read
A few months after the first book, Sonea is offically inducted as a novice into the Magician's Guild in Imardin. She is immediately looked down on by her fellow novices and indeed other magicians because of her poor upbringing (magicians always being taken from the families of the rich upper class). One novice in particular will go to any lengths to humiliate her. Meanwhile Sonea is hiding a secret. The High Lord of the Guild is practicing black magic, strictly forbidden. Dannyl is sent on a secret mission by Lorlen to try to discover how the High Lord won these powers and if there is anything that can be done to stop him.
I found this book to be far more satisfying than the first book, The Magician's Guild. I think this is due to two factors. Firstly Canavan's writing is far more confident and assured (not surprising for a second novel). Also the story arc is a lot less predictable and allows for more twists and turns since the end is not inevitable (in the first novel it is clear that Sonea will eventually be joining the guild; it is only the sub-plots that provide suprises).
As a consequence this is an easier read than the first book with plenty of good stories, either Sonea's (mis)adventures in the Guild or Dannyl's voyage of discovery on his travels. The end resolves one of the major plot points, leaving the rest for the third book, The High Lord to investigate.
Canavan touches on various topics during the book, particularly bullying by peers and also some nice observations on repression of homosexuality in the intolerant Imardin society.
It is also welcoming to see more of the land; the first book was bound to the city itself but here through Dannyl we get to see the neighbouring lands and discover some of their peoples and customs, together with a fair amount of hazardous travelling.
The magic system is also key; normally magicians throw around a bewildering array of spells with limitless powers. Clearly this isn't an option in these books and each spell and power Sonea learns is neatly and logically explained and consistant. It really makes a change that the magic spells are treated mechanically rather than as, well, 'magic'.
Definitely a recommended read
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015) in Movies
Dec 10, 2019 (Updated Dec 10, 2019)
The Force Awakens is a damn good return to the Star Wars saga, reintroducing us to beloved characters that we haven't seen in decades, whilst simultaneously introducing new and exciting blood.
The new characters take centre stage here - the most important of course being Rey. It's great that in this day and age, young girls all over the world have a strong female protagonist to look up to within Star Wars. There have of course been some great heroines before, but Rey is well developed over the course of TFA, is extremely likable, incredibly badass, and represents the ever heroic light side.
Over on the dark side, we are introduced to Kylo Ren, a villain who idolises the now legendary Darth Vader, to the point where he even wheres a mask. Ren feels emotionally unstable and dangerous throughout, and gives a strong villain for this new trilogy.
We also have Finn, a Stormtrooper who defects after seeing war atrocities commuted by the First Order. This storyline feels important, and it's nice to see that Stormtroopers are human under the armour.
And we also have Poe Dameron. Poe is my least favorite out of the new characters in all honesty. He doesn't feel all that relevant, but he's entertaining enough.
The inclusion of Chewbacca, Han Solo, C3-P0 and Leia, give us a nice shot if nostalgia, as all of our protagonists fight to thwart The First Order, and search for the AWOL Like Skywalker at the same time.
The set pieces and action sequences are nothing short of breathtaking. The CGI is top notch, and Star Wars has honestly never looked this good. All the great thing that JJ Abrams bought to his Star Trek reboot are replicated here and then some.
Saying that, he does play it safe when it comes to the plot, and a lot of the film has a familiar feeling to it. A handful of plot elements borrow heavily from A New Hope, sometimes feeling like a re tread, but for those of us who are less cynical, we can always view it as a love letter instead, from a man who adores Star Wars just as much as we do.
Once again, John Williams provides a fantastic score, and just like that, Star Wars is exciting again.
TFA has flaws here and there, but it's the best Star Wars movie since the original trilogy concluded, and it puts a huge smile on my face.
The new characters take centre stage here - the most important of course being Rey. It's great that in this day and age, young girls all over the world have a strong female protagonist to look up to within Star Wars. There have of course been some great heroines before, but Rey is well developed over the course of TFA, is extremely likable, incredibly badass, and represents the ever heroic light side.
Over on the dark side, we are introduced to Kylo Ren, a villain who idolises the now legendary Darth Vader, to the point where he even wheres a mask. Ren feels emotionally unstable and dangerous throughout, and gives a strong villain for this new trilogy.
We also have Finn, a Stormtrooper who defects after seeing war atrocities commuted by the First Order. This storyline feels important, and it's nice to see that Stormtroopers are human under the armour.
And we also have Poe Dameron. Poe is my least favorite out of the new characters in all honesty. He doesn't feel all that relevant, but he's entertaining enough.
The inclusion of Chewbacca, Han Solo, C3-P0 and Leia, give us a nice shot if nostalgia, as all of our protagonists fight to thwart The First Order, and search for the AWOL Like Skywalker at the same time.
The set pieces and action sequences are nothing short of breathtaking. The CGI is top notch, and Star Wars has honestly never looked this good. All the great thing that JJ Abrams bought to his Star Trek reboot are replicated here and then some.
Saying that, he does play it safe when it comes to the plot, and a lot of the film has a familiar feeling to it. A handful of plot elements borrow heavily from A New Hope, sometimes feeling like a re tread, but for those of us who are less cynical, we can always view it as a love letter instead, from a man who adores Star Wars just as much as we do.
Once again, John Williams provides a fantastic score, and just like that, Star Wars is exciting again.
TFA has flaws here and there, but it's the best Star Wars movie since the original trilogy concluded, and it puts a huge smile on my face.
BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated Jumanji: The Next Level (2019) in Movies
Dec 14, 2019
A "Game" Cast makes this fun film as good as the last one
Did you enjoy the previous JUMANJI film where Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Kevin Hart, Jack Black and Karen Gillan were video game avatars of 4 teens sucked into a video game? It was alot of fun, an unexpected big hit and, inevitably, spun a sequel.
Well...if you liked the last one, then you'll like this one, for JUMANJI: THE NEXT LEVEL pretty much delivers the same type of fun film, but avoids the cliches and lack of energy that a "quickie" sequel inevitably delivers.
Credit for this should go to returning Director Jake Kasdan and a "game" cast that are ALL back from the previous film. While the plot is fairly similar (4 teens are sucked into a real-life video game where they can be trapped forever if they cannot "win" the game), the twist of adding 2 old folks (played in the real world by Danny Glover and Danny DeVito) almost derails the fun, but this winning cast and passably exciting action sequences steers this film into an enjoyable entertainment activity.
I am a big Kevin Hart fan - and he does a great job of channeling Danny Glover in his character. He really brought the charm - and the funny - from the get go. He is ably assisted by Karen Gillan, who doesn't really have anything new to do, but brings the same "kick-butt action with a wink in the eye" characterization and energy as the first film. The surprise for me was Jack Black who I thought was very, very funny and energized. If anything, I thought his characterization was BETTER than the previous film. Only "The Rock" fails to equal his previous efforts - and he is just fine (he is "The Rock" after all). When you are talking about a team of actors playing against each other in an action/comedy and "The Rock" is the weak link, then you are in good shape.
A fine addition to the proceedings is the always watchable Awkwafina as another character in the game while Nick Jonas returns as the avatar Alex and Rory McCann (the Hound in GAME OF THRONES) is very fun as the "big bad" in this film.
The action scenes are fun, the characters are enjoyable to spend 2 hours with and the puzzle that they are trying to solve is clever (enough) that you will be able to pass a few enjoyable hours with your family this Holiday season.
Letter Grade: B+
8 (out of 10) stars and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
Well...if you liked the last one, then you'll like this one, for JUMANJI: THE NEXT LEVEL pretty much delivers the same type of fun film, but avoids the cliches and lack of energy that a "quickie" sequel inevitably delivers.
Credit for this should go to returning Director Jake Kasdan and a "game" cast that are ALL back from the previous film. While the plot is fairly similar (4 teens are sucked into a real-life video game where they can be trapped forever if they cannot "win" the game), the twist of adding 2 old folks (played in the real world by Danny Glover and Danny DeVito) almost derails the fun, but this winning cast and passably exciting action sequences steers this film into an enjoyable entertainment activity.
I am a big Kevin Hart fan - and he does a great job of channeling Danny Glover in his character. He really brought the charm - and the funny - from the get go. He is ably assisted by Karen Gillan, who doesn't really have anything new to do, but brings the same "kick-butt action with a wink in the eye" characterization and energy as the first film. The surprise for me was Jack Black who I thought was very, very funny and energized. If anything, I thought his characterization was BETTER than the previous film. Only "The Rock" fails to equal his previous efforts - and he is just fine (he is "The Rock" after all). When you are talking about a team of actors playing against each other in an action/comedy and "The Rock" is the weak link, then you are in good shape.
A fine addition to the proceedings is the always watchable Awkwafina as another character in the game while Nick Jonas returns as the avatar Alex and Rory McCann (the Hound in GAME OF THRONES) is very fun as the "big bad" in this film.
The action scenes are fun, the characters are enjoyable to spend 2 hours with and the puzzle that they are trying to solve is clever (enough) that you will be able to pass a few enjoyable hours with your family this Holiday season.
Letter Grade: B+
8 (out of 10) stars and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
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<img src="https://i1.wp.com/diaryofdifference.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Book-Review-Banner-9.png?resize=1024%2C576&ssl=1"/>;
<b><i> DID NOT FINISH </i></b>
If you have been following my book journey for a while, you will know what I’m about to say. I don’t have rules about reading a certain book, but there is one thing I always stick to:
<i>I give a chance to every book that comes my way. If I have it in my physical library – it will be picked up at some point. </i>
Pagan Portals – Celtic Witchcraft is a book I won from a giveaway. It is not usually a genre I go for, but I do love witchcraft and spells. It intrigues me.
This book focuses on the Celtic Witchcraft and explains what it means to firstly, be a witch and what Celtic culture is all about – the beliefs, the customs etc.
After reading 30 pages, I decided that this book is not for me. This is, therefore, the second ”Did Not Finish” for 2019.
It starts very slow, gives detailed information of all things Celtic and the history of Celtic Witchcraft. It was a very boring introduction for me.
Then I got involved in a few life lessons without any added benefit really, and a full overview of a moon cycle followed by a detailed report on how the author’s behaviour changed during all these phases. This might be something you are interested in, but I felt like wasting my time reading someone’s daily moon diary. This was the moment I decided to close this book and move on.
I can understand why some might like this book, and you are valid! I am aware a lot of you will love and appreciate this book for what it is. And that’s okay. I just don’t seem to fit into this group. I love learning about witchcraft, witches and find out new things, but this book didn’t give me what I was looking for.
<b>Better luck next time!</b>
<a href="https://diaryofdifference.com/">Blog</a>; | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/diaryofdifference/">Facebook</a>; | <a href="https://twitter.com/DiaryDifference">Twitter</a>; | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/diaryofdifference/">Instagram</a>; | <a href="https://www.pinterest.co.uk/diaryofdifference/pins/">Pinterest</a>;
<img src="https://i1.wp.com/diaryofdifference.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Book-Review-Banner-9.png?resize=1024%2C576&ssl=1"/>;
<b><i> DID NOT FINISH </i></b>
If you have been following my book journey for a while, you will know what I’m about to say. I don’t have rules about reading a certain book, but there is one thing I always stick to:
<i>I give a chance to every book that comes my way. If I have it in my physical library – it will be picked up at some point. </i>
Pagan Portals – Celtic Witchcraft is a book I won from a giveaway. It is not usually a genre I go for, but I do love witchcraft and spells. It intrigues me.
This book focuses on the Celtic Witchcraft and explains what it means to firstly, be a witch and what Celtic culture is all about – the beliefs, the customs etc.
After reading 30 pages, I decided that this book is not for me. This is, therefore, the second ”Did Not Finish” for 2019.
It starts very slow, gives detailed information of all things Celtic and the history of Celtic Witchcraft. It was a very boring introduction for me.
Then I got involved in a few life lessons without any added benefit really, and a full overview of a moon cycle followed by a detailed report on how the author’s behaviour changed during all these phases. This might be something you are interested in, but I felt like wasting my time reading someone’s daily moon diary. This was the moment I decided to close this book and move on.
I can understand why some might like this book, and you are valid! I am aware a lot of you will love and appreciate this book for what it is. And that’s okay. I just don’t seem to fit into this group. I love learning about witchcraft, witches and find out new things, but this book didn’t give me what I was looking for.
<b>Better luck next time!</b>
<a href="https://diaryofdifference.com/">Blog</a>; | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/diaryofdifference/">Facebook</a>; | <a href="https://twitter.com/DiaryDifference">Twitter</a>; | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/diaryofdifference/">Instagram</a>; | <a href="https://www.pinterest.co.uk/diaryofdifference/pins/">Pinterest</a>;
BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated Bad Boys for Life (2020) in Movies
Jan 18, 2020
Entertaining "shoot-em-up" with 2 charismatic leads
Okay - I gotta admit, I never saw the first two BAD BOYS films starring Will Smith and Martin Lawrence, but I pretty much got the gist of it through the advertisements, so when these 2 re-united for a 3rd film (set 17 years after BAD BOYS II), I figured I would skip this one as well. But...as life would have it...I ended up attending this film - with a giant attitude of "this is gonna stink" to accompany me.
And...I was wrong. I was really, really entertained by this film.
BAD BOYS FOR LIFE presents Martin Lawrence's Det. Marcus Burnett and Will Smith's Det. Mike Lowry still "in the game". One wants to keep working and the other is looking to retire (if you take a look at the picture, you can figure out which one is which). The two battle like an old married couple while taking on some crooks in "shoot 'em up" action scenes.
And...what's not to like about that? Smith and Lawrence still have strong chemistry on the screen and the action scenes - staged by new (to me) Directors Adil and Bilall - keep things moving at a quick enough pace, not too fast that you get a headache, but not too slow that you start punching a hole in the plot.
And...as is typical of these types of films...the plot is paper thin and just is a reason to have these 2 banter and to have shoot-em-up scenes.
But that doesn't matter.
Ably helping the boys out is their put-upon Captain (the always watchable Joe Pantaliano reprising his role from the previous 2 films) and the members of the "AMMO SQUAD". These are young cops who are set up to replace our 2 heroes. Normally, this band of youngsters would be arrogant a-holes who end up being too cocky and are outwitted by our heroes, but this film puts that convention on it's ear and the "Ammo Squad" are actually a pretty good addition to this film series.
The filmmakers left the door wide open for BAD BOYS 4 and...I can't believe I'm saying this...I'm actually looking forward to it! Certainly not an Oscar contender, but an entertaining "blow-em-up" with 2 charismatic leads that play off each other well. Everyone involved knew exactly what type of film they were making - so they made that movie, with no apologies.
Letter Grade: a solid B
7 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
And...I was wrong. I was really, really entertained by this film.
BAD BOYS FOR LIFE presents Martin Lawrence's Det. Marcus Burnett and Will Smith's Det. Mike Lowry still "in the game". One wants to keep working and the other is looking to retire (if you take a look at the picture, you can figure out which one is which). The two battle like an old married couple while taking on some crooks in "shoot 'em up" action scenes.
And...what's not to like about that? Smith and Lawrence still have strong chemistry on the screen and the action scenes - staged by new (to me) Directors Adil and Bilall - keep things moving at a quick enough pace, not too fast that you get a headache, but not too slow that you start punching a hole in the plot.
And...as is typical of these types of films...the plot is paper thin and just is a reason to have these 2 banter and to have shoot-em-up scenes.
But that doesn't matter.
Ably helping the boys out is their put-upon Captain (the always watchable Joe Pantaliano reprising his role from the previous 2 films) and the members of the "AMMO SQUAD". These are young cops who are set up to replace our 2 heroes. Normally, this band of youngsters would be arrogant a-holes who end up being too cocky and are outwitted by our heroes, but this film puts that convention on it's ear and the "Ammo Squad" are actually a pretty good addition to this film series.
The filmmakers left the door wide open for BAD BOYS 4 and...I can't believe I'm saying this...I'm actually looking forward to it! Certainly not an Oscar contender, but an entertaining "blow-em-up" with 2 charismatic leads that play off each other well. Everyone involved knew exactly what type of film they were making - so they made that movie, with no apologies.
Letter Grade: a solid B
7 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
