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Kill Bill: Volume 1 (2003)
Kill Bill: Volume 1 (2003)
2003 | Action
Bloody Brilliant
A woman seeks revenge on the man that tried to kill her along with his gang of deadly assassins. Director Quentin Tarantino is known for producing masterpieces and this is definitely one of his finest.

Acting: 10

Beginning: 10
Talk about a movie that sucks you in right from the very beginning. The opening scene is jarring and so amazing. I was anxious and excited to see what would happen next.

Characters: 10

Cinematography/Visuals: 10
The cinematic appeal of Kill Bill Volume 1 is out of this world. The fight scenes are shot with flare and an intensity that ramps as each battle works towards the climax. I love how daring Tarantino is, even incorporating animated scenes to flesh out the story. One of my favorite moments is the main character’s final showdown against an assassin shot against the backdrop of a snowy landscape in Japan. It’s so incredibly beautiful, even as droplets of blood spatter against the snow.

Conflict: 10

Entertainment Value: 10
Captivating from beginning to end. This is why we watch movies. There was never a dull moment as intensity lingers around every corner. The entertainment comes from a combination of conflict and sheer originality. As you sit there, you realize you are seeing something you have never seen before. I loved every minute of it.

Memorability: 10
Tarantino operates with the flare of a man who has been there and done that. I appreciate the fact that he’s not afraid to try new things. As a result, we get something new in every single scene. It’s brilliant how all the puzzle pieces come together. We think we are watching something simple and straightforward, but it ends up being amazingly intricate.

Pace: 10

Plot: 10

Resolution: 10
You already know going in there’s going to be a sequel as the title indicates. But this movie wraps up quite nicely with a beautiful cliffhanger that gets you stoked for the sequel. No matter how many times I’ve watched this movie, the ending always pushes me into watching the sequel right after. Not many movies can say that.

Overall: 100
I’m not saying this lightly: Kill Bill Volume 1 is one of the greatest movies ever made. See it. I’ll end it there.
  
The Hitman's Bodyguard (2017)
The Hitman's Bodyguard (2017)
2017 | Action, Comedy
Michael Bryce is a triple A rated executive protection agent. Well... he was, up until he lost one of his high profile clients. Now he's living in the less than luxurious life, with less than A rated clients. What he needs is to get his reputation back, and when his ex appears asking for his help, he could get more than his reputation back.

It's just another job, until he see's who he's supposed to be protecting. Darius Kincaid. Master assassin.

Kincaid needs to get to The Hague to testify against Vladislav Dukhovich, merciless dictator of Belarus. With all the other witnesses dying he's Interpol's last hope. But with Kincaid and Bryce both thinking they know the best way to survive the trip, will they both get there in one piece?



Honestly, I love all the trailers for this film, but this one has the song in it. There's just something catchy about Samuel L. Jackson singing along with a bunch of nuns.

Anyway, to the film. Straight off the bat I'm going to say I loved it. Award winner? Nope. Dramatic master piece? Nope. Hilarious? Abso-motherf***ing-lutely. Reynolds and Jackson play really well off each other all the way through, but for me, the highlight was Salma Hayek. She really was an unexpected gem.

I read views of this online and it made me a little mad... some people just need to lighten up. Some films are just made to be entertaining, and this one had the bases covered... excessive mindless violence, car chases, romance, singing nuns... you couldn't really ask for more... apart from maybe more nudity of Ryan Reynolds. (Just me? Never mind then)

Probably the most entertaining Unlimited screening I've seen, and I think everyone else agreed. I haven't been in a cinema where that many people have been laughing out loud. I honestly think that is a great achievement in a film.

I'll be buying this one on DVD when it comes out, I think everyone should, it'll really brighten up your day and help you relieve some stress... if like me you enjoy seeing random things getting destroyed. (Only on screen, not in real-life, no need to panic!) Possibly not for those of you who don't like swearing though, as Samuel L. Jackson does get to use swearing like punctuation... and the writers were clearly fond of excessive commas.
  
Gemini Man (2019)
Gemini Man (2019)
2019 | Action, Drama, Sci-Fi
Not even two Will Smiths can save it.
"Gemini Man (2019)" is a blend of action, drama, crime and sci-fi, and tells the story of Henry Brogan (portrayed by Will Smith), the world's most renowned assassin who is looking to retire from the government agency he's been working for.

When he finds out his last job wasn't all it seemed, he starts asking questions, which quickly prompts the agency to try and retire him themselves. We know from the trailers that a younger clone of himself is sent to kill him, and so begins a typical cat-and-mouse gunfight across the globe.

*sigh*

I was really disappointed with this film. It had so much potential - a strong lead with great support from Clive Owen (in fine antagonistic form), Benedict Wong (playing another Wong-esque character) and Mary Elizabeth Winstead (in a commanding, if at times a little bland, outing). But even a good turn from Mr. Smith can't stop it from ultimately becoming a victim of its own ambition.

The plot isn't especially original, but has a nice twist to it that sets it apart. However, it loses itself halfway through, becoming convoluted and indecipherable, seemingly even for the cast. Nothing feels like it has any meaning, and the promising start was soon forgotten in favour of one set piece after another.

And speaking of the set pieces, whilst the action and choreography is really good, the scenes with Will Smith vs. Will Smith (both fighting and talking) are ruined by poor CGI. It's too obviously computer-generated. To me, good CGI looks integrated into the real life scenes, but this stands out like a video game. The action scenes in particular are way too fast and unrealistic. It's like they're trying to recreate the gritty, hard-hitting pace and tone of the Bourne films, but end up with The Matrix being playing on fast forward.

Ang Lee is the kind of director who either wins big (see "Life Of Pi (2012)") or loses big (see "Hulk (2003)"). I don't know where the blame lies here. The script wasn't particularly bad. The direction was... okay. But nothing seemed to gel. It had all the right ingredients and should've been great, yet it fails in every aspect.

This could've been one of the year's best blockbusters... sadly, it's a forgettable tale that Will Smith will likely want wiping from his IMDB profile.
  
Assassin's Creed (2016)
Assassin's Creed (2016)
2016 | Action
8
5.8 (33 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Action sequences (4 more)
Cast
Practical and CGI effects
Plot
Highest free fall performed by a stuntman in almost 35 years.
Apple of Eden (1 more)
Not as much Past sequences as I'd like
Nothing is True...
Okay, so I have been a huge fan of the Assassin's Creed franchise since the beginning and have enjoyed, at least to some extent for certain ones, all of the games that have been released thus far. I was so excited for this movie once I heard it was being made and spent the years waiting, worrying. Videogame Movies have had nothing but a bad rep throughout the many years and this was one I was hoping did not fail, or at least not be a failure for me.

To give an example of what I mean, the Prince of Persia film was one I actually really enjoyed but to the world it was a flop and people despise it and dread to talk about it. Yes it's not as great as it could have been but neverless I enjoy what they tried to do with it. This film is both similar and yet different for me, because I didn't enjoy what they tried to do, I enjoyed what they did.

Though many will disagree with me I would like to at least get my view of the film across so that other might understand how someone can enjoy the film. So here it goes;

First of all Michael Fassbender is brilliant as both Callum Lynch and Aguilar de Nerha. As Callum he brilliantly portrays the anger, confusion, intrigue and then of course the characters progression into his focus and his determination to fully understand what it means to be an Assassin, not just in the past but in the present. As Aguilar we watch as Fassbender portrays to us his ancestral character as a much more skilled individual. Someone you can tell has been through years of intense training, has been taught to focus his mind on the task at hand and to understand that nothing is more important than his mission. Even if that means that people, no matter how close they are to him, must not be mourned in death until the mission is complete.

Other cast members such as Jeremy Irons and Marion Cotillard, are brilliant in their roles as their characters each have their own goals, and both require Callum Lynch, so their interactions together are shown in very different ways, although both are sincere.

The action in this movie is brilliant and is almost very reminiscent of the games themselves (the later games in the series at least, since the combat becomes more evolved and fluent compared to the first game/s). The actions of the Assassins such as the air assassination, the free running, the leap of faith and others, are exactly what I wanted to see in this film. The best part about them is that they are practical effects. The cast are actually free running, they are actually fighting, and doing somersaults (with the help of stunt doubles of course) and my favourite, the leap of faith is actually performed using a crane and a crash mat, by British gymnast and free runner Damien Walters. He free falls from the crane lift at 125 feet in the air, and in 3 seconds, he lands on the crash mat. This is actually the highest free fall performed by a stuntman in almost 35 years.

The connections to the games are beautifully blended into this new and refreshing plot that we haven't seen before. Everything from the different Assassin Insignias, to the leap of faith, the weapons, Abstergo Industries, and of course the Piece of Eden, is everything the fans wanted and possibly more. They even included a version of the Bleeding Effect that we haven't seen the likes of before, which I adored.

Probably my only issue with this film is the Apple of Eden, simply because, unlike the game, it doesn't do anything, except glow. The look of it is beautiful, just like all the other props and clothing in this film. However, when the orb is activated, there's simply some lights thrust out of it but it doesn't do anything besides show some pretty lights. In the game it can control minds, even break them and kill, or make someone run away in fear. Besides that, I have no real important issues with the film. The plot is, to me at least, brilliant and whilst there are some minor nit picks here and there, I love this film enough to not let them bother me. I saw this film twice in the cinema and would have gone a third time if I had the chance. Sadly I was too busy.

If you're a fan of the game franchise I highly recommend you give this film a chance. If you don't like it, like most people, then that's fair enough, but as I say about most films such as this, and comic book movies, give them a chance...you never know, you just might like it.
  
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Bird (1702 KP) May 4, 2017

Brilliantly written review as always @Connor Sheffield 👍

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Connor Sheffield (293 KP) May 4, 2017

Thank you. Glad you enjoy my work :)

Six of Crows
Six of Crows
Leigh Bardugo | 2016 | Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult (YA)
10
9.2 (45 Ratings)
Book Rating
Amazing duology
Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom are a duology set in Leigh Bardugo's Grishaverse. Grisha being the magic users in her world. I haven't read the rest of the Grishaverse (Shadow and Bone, Siege and Storm, and Ruin and Rising) - but I will definitely be doing so, because Crows and Crooked Kingdom are AMAZING.

I was pretty surprised - normally books rotating between several viewpoints are confusing, but Bardugo handles the transitions seamlessly and unmistakably. I was never unsure of what character I was reading - each one really had their own unique voice. I also loved that she worked in an LGBT romance without it being in any way odd. No one in the novel found non-heterosexuality weird at all. It was treated just as matter of factly as opposite-sex romances, and I loved that.

Six of Crows opens on a gang being blackmailed into a job they don't want to do. I can totally see the gang has a D&D group - and the books definitely feel a bit like a D&D campaign, albeit one with a mostly experienced group and a very experienced DM.

You've got Kaz, the ringleader, who's an all-around great thief but a superb tactician.

Inej, the acrobat assassin.

Jesper, the marksman hiding his magic ability.

Wylan, the rich merchant's son on the outs with his father and fallen in with a bad crowd, and talented with demolitions.

Nina, the sexpot who wields magic, and has a love/hate relationship with Mathias, the barbarian who's spent his life hunting magic users but is irresistibly attracted to Nina. (I can see the DM telling these two to hash out a background that will let them co-exist, which they obviously did.)

Each character has a complex back story that influences most of their actions, and different relationships with other members of the gang that also affects how they react. Their back stories don't just explain their actions in the books, people and events from their backgrounds also show up to complicate matters in the present. The wheels-within-wheels of the plotline is EXACTLY what I love about good political fantasies. The world-building is superb, and Bardugo has given just as much thought to the seedy underbelly of her world as she has the magic and politics.

I really, really loved this duology, and I see now why people rave about this universe. It is VERY well deserved.

You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
  
Crooked Kingdom
Crooked Kingdom
Leigh Bardugo | 2016 | Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult (YA)
10
9.1 (22 Ratings)
Book Rating
Amazing duology
Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom are a duology set in Leigh Bardugo's Grishaverse. Grisha being the magic users in her world. I haven't read the rest of the Grishaverse (Shadow and Bone, Siege and Storm, and Ruin and Rising) - but I will definitely be doing so, because Crows and Crooked Kingdom are AMAZING.

I was pretty surprised - normally books rotating between several viewpoints are confusing, but Bardugo handles the transitions seamlessly and unmistakably. I was never unsure of what character I was reading - each one really had their own unique voice. I also loved that she worked in an LGBT romance without it being in any way odd. No one in the novel found non-heterosexuality weird at all. It was treated just as matter of factly as opposite-sex romances, and I loved that.

Six of Crows opens on a gang being blackmailed into a job they don't want to do. I can totally see the gang has a D&D group - and the books definitely feel a bit like a D&D campaign, albeit one with a mostly experienced group and a very experienced DM.

You've got Kaz, the ringleader, who's an all-around great thief but a superb tactician.

Inej, the acrobat assassin.

Jesper, the marksman hiding his magic ability.

Wylan, the rich merchant's son on the outs with his father and fallen in with a bad crowd, and talented with demolitions.

Nina, the sexpot who wields magic, and has a love/hate relationship with Mathias, the barbarian who's spent his life hunting magic users but is irresistibly attracted to Nina. (I can see the DM telling these two to hash out a background that will let them co-exist, which they obviously did.)

Each character has a complex back story that influences most of their actions, and different relationships with other members of the gang that also affects how they react. Their back stories don't just explain their actions in the books, people and events from their backgrounds also show up to complicate matters in the present. The wheels-within-wheels of the plotline is EXACTLY what I love about good political fantasies. The world-building is superb, and Bardugo has given just as much thought to the seedy underbelly of her world as she has the magic and politics.

I really, really loved this duology, and I see now why people rave about this universe. It is VERY well deserved.

You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
  
Dominic has spent years perfecting his rock-hard shell, keeping his human heart under lock and key, for fear of getting hurt again. His brutal horrible father has tortured him for his softness and lack of black fire magic for years, and Dominic can’t handle any more. So he isn’t prepared for a kind, sweet, tender-hearted wife…

Cassandra has been raised in the catholic school, but trained in to fight in the rebellion as a death-dance assassin. She is sent to marry the son of the Imperial Fire Lord, so that she can get close enough to the Fire Lord to kill him. She knows it’s a death mission, and she’s fully prepared… but she’s not so sure she wants to part with Dominic once she breaks down his hard exterior shell.

As Dominic and Cassandra begin to love each other, Dominic starts to worry about Cassandra’s mission, and Cassandra worries about Dominic’s father trying to kill him. How can two people who love each other protect each other, if protection of the one ends with death for the other? And what of the evil Fire Lord’s hate towards the people and the rebellion against the elves?

I enjoyed The Fire Lord’s Lover from start to finish. The characters were developed quickly and I liked them, the dialogue felt right, and the pacing was great.

The most important thing about The Fire Lord’s Lover, the thing that made it good, was the character’s love for each other. It didn’t feel sappy and fake, centered around physical attraction. It was real and it had reason behind it. Cassandra and Dominic needed each other, and the people needed them together.

At first, I didn’t really like the ending. I almost got a little annoyed at it… but the more I thought about it, the more I liked it—a lot like It’s Not Summer Without You. I didn’t quite like it at first, even though I knew why Kennedy had done what she did… but then I thought back over it again, envisioned in my mind how it would play out, and was very pleased. I won’t spoil it! But I will say that it was surprisingly satisfying.

Content: I thought the love scenes were slightly overkill… I was literally skipping chunks of pages at a time (I don’t read the scenes). There was a little bit of language, but it wasn’t bad and I felt it was appropriate.

Recommendation: Ages 18+

I’ve got a giveaway for 2 copies of The Fire Lord’s Lover up for grabs, and (soon) my ARC will be available for swap at ARC Swap.
  
Killing Gunther (2017)
Killing Gunther (2017)
2017 | Action, Comedy
5
6.1 (7 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Action Superstar Arnold Schwarzenegger returns to action in the new film “Killing Gunther”. The film is a documentary style fusion of comedy and action and involves a collection of assassins gathering to kill an elite assassin named Gunther (Arnold Schwarzenegger). The group’s motives are varied but many simply want to make a name for themselves by taking out the top name in their profession.

The leader of the team is Blake (Taran Killam), and he has a range of reasons for wanting Gunther dead and has hired a documentary film crew to capture every moment of his mission.

Unfortunately Blake and his crew are highly dysfunctional and they have to supplement their crew with some unstable and unproven recruits as the more established members of their profession know better than to cross Gunther.

The team learns quickly that there plans are already known to Gunther and he starts toying with them in a series of well-timed hit and run missions. Every time the team thinks they have the drop on Gunther, he seems to turn the tables on them and slip away, reducing their ranks in the process.

Blake soon finds his life falling apart as his actions have drawn the attention of the authorities and he finds himself unable to return to his home and forced to take up residence with his tech guy.

As Blake goes all in on his mission life and other complications arise for the team which makes for an all-out finale to accomplish his goal.

 

While the premise of the film is entertaining it does tend to drag on at many points and labors to get to Schwarzenegger. Part of this is due to Taran Killam being the Writer and Director for the film as well. He has a background that includes Saturday Night Live and short sitcoms and sketch comedies. He has crafted a very interesting premise but one that would have been better in a series of short sketches or in a shorter film.

Schwarzenegger seems to be enjoying himself and the campy nature of his role and he at times parodies himself with some lines lifted from “Predator”, yet seems to do so with a wink and a smile to the audience.

Schwarzenegger fans may find the film interesting enough to watch in the theaters but my advice would be to watch this on demand or wait to rent or stream it.

http://sknr.net/2017/10/18/killing-gunther/