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Curious Cameron (Secret Lives of Hot Twinks #1)
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I married my best friend. My gay best friend. I’ve flunked out of art college. I have a fresh...
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Chris Sawin (602 KP) rated Warlords (Tau ming chong) (2010) in Movies
Jun 19, 2019
General Pang Qing Yun is the sole survivor of his entire battalion. The Ching army was taken out against Taiping rebels in Hechuan. Pang meets a woman and spends the night with her while she leaves before he wakes up the next morning. Some bandits ride into the town Pang is in. One of them, Jiang Wuyang, notices Pang and challenges him. Pang makes short work of Jiang. Jiang, impressed with Pang, introduces Pang to Zhao Er Hu. Pang follows Jiang and Er Hu back to their village where he notices that same woman he spent the night with. Her name is Lian and she's Er Hu's wife.
The village is very poor and in desperate need of food, so they decide to attack a passing food convoy. In the midst of the battle, Pang saves Jiang from certain death. The bandits successful, they bring food back to their families. Kui troops, the imperial army, invade the village and usurps the food that they stole. Now without food or money, the bandits are starving and unsure of what lies ahead for them. Pang suggests to Er Hu that they should join Lord Chen's army as they could earn wages for their families and actually have something to be proud of. Questioning Pang's reasoning since he abandoned his army once before, Jiang suggests that Pang, himself, and Er Hu take a blood oath. The pact made them blood brothers on that day.
After joining the army, their 800 soldiers go after Shu City, which has an army of 5,000. They somehow manage to get the upper hand and with the help of 1,500 imperial soldiers, they get a victory. It'll be the first of many for them as they move up in rank rapidly. With plans to overthrow Suzhou and then Nanjing, the capital, they have their work set out for them. The brothers soon begin to fall apart on their rise to the top though. Er Hu tends to be loyal with his word and his brothers no matter what as Pang will sacrifice anyone and even make deals with his enemies just to win while Jiang is stuck between them.
Let me just start this by saying, I loved this movie. The battle sequences are stunning, the cinematography was brilliant, and the acting was pretty much right on the money. The Warlords took everything I loved about Mongol and made it just a little bit better. Jet Li deserves a mention. After seeing Unleashed and Fearless, it was nice to see him actually show his acting chops. So I've wanted to see him show those off again. Luckily, he did a great job in this as he showed just about every emotion in this film at some time or another. His fight scenes were also incredible, but that comes to be expected with just about any film he's involved in. I think Andy Lau deserves a nod, as well. His character is just so passionate about being honorable and loyal that when things go wrong, his reaction is just explosive. He has some really powerful scenes where he's fighting for what he thinks is right, but I can't really mention with spoiling anything. There is a scene where he's having dinner and there's play going on that's mocking him, Pang, and Jiang. He begins to laugh, which leads to him crying uncontrollably, and then he begins laughing again. He just managed to pull it off flawlessly and I was incredibly impressed.
The battle scenes didn't pull any punches either. Blood flies across the screen as limbs roll on the ground. It's truly fantastic. They were truly the highlight of the film for me as the first half of the film doesn't seem to let up from the battlefield. The film is also extremely colorful. Every scene is stunningly vibrant. There are also so many memorable scenes from the film and half of that is due to how they were shot. There's a scene where Er Hu runs into this coliseum where there are just hundreds of dead bodies lying on the ground and the camera kind of spins around him capturing his emotions and the devastation that lies around him. It's truly something worth seeing for yourself.
The Warlords is one of the best feudal Japan films I've ever seen. If you were a fan of films like Mongol: The Rise of Genghis Khan, The Last Samurai, or Seven Samurai, then I highly recommend this.
The village is very poor and in desperate need of food, so they decide to attack a passing food convoy. In the midst of the battle, Pang saves Jiang from certain death. The bandits successful, they bring food back to their families. Kui troops, the imperial army, invade the village and usurps the food that they stole. Now without food or money, the bandits are starving and unsure of what lies ahead for them. Pang suggests to Er Hu that they should join Lord Chen's army as they could earn wages for their families and actually have something to be proud of. Questioning Pang's reasoning since he abandoned his army once before, Jiang suggests that Pang, himself, and Er Hu take a blood oath. The pact made them blood brothers on that day.
After joining the army, their 800 soldiers go after Shu City, which has an army of 5,000. They somehow manage to get the upper hand and with the help of 1,500 imperial soldiers, they get a victory. It'll be the first of many for them as they move up in rank rapidly. With plans to overthrow Suzhou and then Nanjing, the capital, they have their work set out for them. The brothers soon begin to fall apart on their rise to the top though. Er Hu tends to be loyal with his word and his brothers no matter what as Pang will sacrifice anyone and even make deals with his enemies just to win while Jiang is stuck between them.
Let me just start this by saying, I loved this movie. The battle sequences are stunning, the cinematography was brilliant, and the acting was pretty much right on the money. The Warlords took everything I loved about Mongol and made it just a little bit better. Jet Li deserves a mention. After seeing Unleashed and Fearless, it was nice to see him actually show his acting chops. So I've wanted to see him show those off again. Luckily, he did a great job in this as he showed just about every emotion in this film at some time or another. His fight scenes were also incredible, but that comes to be expected with just about any film he's involved in. I think Andy Lau deserves a nod, as well. His character is just so passionate about being honorable and loyal that when things go wrong, his reaction is just explosive. He has some really powerful scenes where he's fighting for what he thinks is right, but I can't really mention with spoiling anything. There is a scene where he's having dinner and there's play going on that's mocking him, Pang, and Jiang. He begins to laugh, which leads to him crying uncontrollably, and then he begins laughing again. He just managed to pull it off flawlessly and I was incredibly impressed.
The battle scenes didn't pull any punches either. Blood flies across the screen as limbs roll on the ground. It's truly fantastic. They were truly the highlight of the film for me as the first half of the film doesn't seem to let up from the battlefield. The film is also extremely colorful. Every scene is stunningly vibrant. There are also so many memorable scenes from the film and half of that is due to how they were shot. There's a scene where Er Hu runs into this coliseum where there are just hundreds of dead bodies lying on the ground and the camera kind of spins around him capturing his emotions and the devastation that lies around him. It's truly something worth seeing for yourself.
The Warlords is one of the best feudal Japan films I've ever seen. If you were a fan of films like Mongol: The Rise of Genghis Khan, The Last Samurai, or Seven Samurai, then I highly recommend this.
Ross (3284 KP) rated The Shadow Rising in Books
Sep 22, 2017
Excellent 4th instalment of the Wheel of Time series. Rand tries to win the respect and following of the battle-savvy Aiel by entering mystical city Rhuidean. The events within this section of the book really are key for the saga as a whole, and Mat is gifted with the tools and knowledge he needs to become the true hero he is. Meanwhile Perrin tries to return to his old life, but things have moved on and he ends up leading an army in battle.
This book probably contains the biggest development in the main characters, all of Rand, Mat, Perrin, Nynaeve and Moiraine learn new things or undergo significant changes that will last throughout the series.
This book probably contains the biggest development in the main characters, all of Rand, Mat, Perrin, Nynaeve and Moiraine learn new things or undergo significant changes that will last throughout the series.
Kaysee Hood (83 KP) rated Magnus Chase and the Sword of Summer in Books
Oct 8, 2017
Talking Sword (3 more)
Sassiness
Strange Gods
Elf and Drawf BFF
Norse Gods and a new sassy half-blood? Why yes I would like to sign my life over for this.
Magnus Chase has had it tough enough living on the streets after wolves killed his mother, but then it all goes down the toilet when he dies attempting to do something for his estrange uncle. Next thing you know he is in the afterlife for other great heroes, Valhalla, trying to grasp being the living dead and who is actually is. On top of having to save the world, prove he is worth being part of Odin's army, and overcoming what happened to him.
Magnus Chase has had it tough enough living on the streets after wolves killed his mother, but then it all goes down the toilet when he dies attempting to do something for his estrange uncle. Next thing you know he is in the afterlife for other great heroes, Valhalla, trying to grasp being the living dead and who is actually is. On top of having to save the world, prove he is worth being part of Odin's army, and overcoming what happened to him.
Mark Halpern (153 KP) rated The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002) in Movies
Jan 10, 2018
Second of an epic series
Contains spoilers, click to show
The book series to me will always bet better becuase of the detail it uses but, yet again the acting is spectacular in this sequel to Fellowship of The Ring. The story continues with our hero making his way to Mordor while the rest try to protect him in other ways by gathering an army. The story does introduce us to Gollom one of the most tragic characters in all of the stories (in my opinion) He plays a pivotal roles in the second and third books. Don't want to spoil it for you but, read the books to get a better point of view of his character.
Andy K (10823 KP) rated Swiss Army Man (2016) in Movies
May 2, 2018
What a strange tale
I guess kind of a combination of Weekend at Bernie's, Heavenly Creatures and Castaway, Swiss Army Man tells the take of a desperate man at the end of his rope until a new friend washes up on shore. The two become acquainted quickly and decide to have an adventure together.
This film falls right into my favorite genre of weird and vague, so I really enjoyed it. You have never seen anything like this film and it is entertaining throughout.
Paul Dano and Daniel Radcliffe make a great screen couple and you really enjoy watching them together.
Still not sure how I feel about the ending though.
This film falls right into my favorite genre of weird and vague, so I really enjoyed it. You have never seen anything like this film and it is entertaining throughout.
Paul Dano and Daniel Radcliffe make a great screen couple and you really enjoy watching them together.
Still not sure how I feel about the ending though.
Cumberland (1142 KP) rated All The Broken Pieces in Books
Feb 4, 2019
Loved it
This is a middle grade read that was wrote in a poetry style. Matt is a young boy living with an adoptive family in the United States after the army pulled him out of Vietnam during the war.
This book was heartbreaking at times. Matt has suffered a lot, and he is still blaming himself for the past. He is a character that you want to cheer for, and see succeed. The book also does a great job of showing how other characters were effected by the war, and how that eventually has an impact on Matt's life.
I would consider this book a must read for its target age group.
This book was heartbreaking at times. Matt has suffered a lot, and he is still blaming himself for the past. He is a character that you want to cheer for, and see succeed. The book also does a great job of showing how other characters were effected by the war, and how that eventually has an impact on Matt's life.
I would consider this book a must read for its target age group.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2377 KP) rated Traitor's Chase (The Last Musketeer, #2) in Books
Mar 9, 2018
Greg Rich and his parents are still stuck in 17th century France, and Spanish assassins have just targeted Greg and his friends, the Musketeers. This leads them to think that their old nemesis is plotting to overthrow the French government, so they take off to learn what kind of army is on the way. However, dissention in the group is making the trip hard. Can they keep it together to save the day? This is a fun mix of fantasy and historical fiction for kids. And adults. I certainly enjoyed it. It was another can't put down for me.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2013/04/book-review-last-musketeer-traitors.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2013/04/book-review-last-musketeer-traitors.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Awix (3310 KP) rated The Last Samurai (2003) in Movies
Feb 12, 2018
Troubled Civil War veteran Tom Cruise goes off to Japan to train their new modern-style army just after the Meiji restoration; winds up being allowed to become a samurai despite not quite meeting the minimum height requirement.
Clearly wants to be a lavish Dances With Wolves-style epic drama; works well enough as a historical adventure with some well-staged action sequences, but not quite as moving or powerful as it would really like. Every Japanese person I know who's seen this movie seems to think it's supposed to be a hilarious deadpan comedy. Someone should tell Cruise it's bad manners to organise a kamikaze charge and not die alongside everyone else.
Clearly wants to be a lavish Dances With Wolves-style epic drama; works well enough as a historical adventure with some well-staged action sequences, but not quite as moving or powerful as it would really like. Every Japanese person I know who's seen this movie seems to think it's supposed to be a hilarious deadpan comedy. Someone should tell Cruise it's bad manners to organise a kamikaze charge and not die alongside everyone else.
Dean (6927 KP) rated Ghost Machine (2009) in Movies
Sep 21, 2018
A decent low budget indie flick made in Northern Ireland. It has some well known faces like Rachael Taylor (Transformers) and a great location, an old disused prison which genuinely looks creepy. The film has a nice idea, a virtual reality battle simulation used by the army is borrowed for a gaming session. The only problem that as well as mapping the old prison to play in the game it also picks up a ghost with revenge in mind. Considering the budget the effects are ok. It reminded me a bit of Stay alive and more recently Gamer. Overall a good effort on a low budget, the DVD has a 30 minute making of as well!