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LoganCrews (2861 KP) rated Chappie (2015) in Movies

Sep 19, 2020 (Updated Sep 19, 2020)  
Chappie (2015)
Chappie (2015)
2015 | Action, Crime, Sci-Fi
"𝘐 𝘨𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘴𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘴𝘵 𝘨𝘶𝘺𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘯 𝘈.𝘐. 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘨𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘤𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘔𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘌𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘨𝘺 𝘢 𝘵𝘳𝘺." - Trevor Moore, 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘖𝘶𝘳 𝘛𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴

Much better than 𝘋𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘵 9 even though it's essentially the same movie for the chief purpose that this is cleaner, more fun, and ditches the sloppy gimmick and failed heavy-handed metaphor. Those last 30 minutes are godly, just totally bananas trashy cyberpunk action glory - not only the best thing Blomkamp has ever done but some of the most fun a sci-fi movie has had in the 2010s. But otherwise a movie about robot cop Sharlto Copley hanging around Die Antwood who teach him how to be gangsta but he accidentally discovers consciousness while a deranged Hugh Jackman desperately wants to let his monster mech loose on the city should be a lot more entertaining than this was. Still sports impeccable graphics and design as always with Neill, and you know what this isn't deep on any level nor does it have a single talking point about the militarization of the police department or A.I. or big tech corporations - fine, whatever. But there's almost zero violence for the hour + twenty-five minute stretch in the middle of this where it becomes this trite, sickly sweet family drama? I mean you're practically poised to fashion this nuanced, ultraviolent story dissecting how A.I. reacts to trauma but instead they're reading bedtime stories to the thing? Still vibrant and ridiculous though, enjoyed the hell out of it - I ain't picky. Plus points for letting all these actors use their natural accents.
  
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Lee (2222 KP) rated Frozen II (2019) in Movies

Nov 25, 2019 (Updated Nov 25, 2019)  
Frozen II (2019)
Frozen II (2019)
2019 | Adventure, Animation, Fantasy
Just as enjoyable as the original
I'm sure you don't need me to tell you how big a hit 2013 movie Frozen was. For a long while after it was released, you couldn't go on social media, or even turn on a TV, without seeing mention of Frozen in some form. And you couldn't really avoid hearing somebody bash out their rendition of 'Let It Go', arguably one of the biggest and most recognisable songs of this decade. Frozen became the highest-grossing animated film ever and a sequel was always inevitable. But, with any sequel, there's always a high chance that they'll fail to live up to the original, simply coming across as nothing more than a cash grab. Frozen 2 had a lot to live up to!

Following the events of the first Frozen movie, Arendelle is once again a calm, happy and carefree place. Elsa and Anna are close sisters once more. Anna and Kristoff are a couple, although in a running theme throughout the movie, Kristoff is now keen to try and propose to Anna. Meanwhile, some magic from Elsa means that Olaf now has a permafrost, no longer needing his own snow cloud and able to freely go around without fear of melting. He's also extremely keen to learn - becoming more thoughtful and aware of the world, asking existential questions, and sharing new found facts with his friends.

An early scene shows a young Elsa and Anna being told a bedtime story by their parents. The story involves an enchanted forest and their grandfather, who went to the forest as king in order to make peace with it's inhabitants, the Northuldra, and to sweeten the deal by building them a shiny new dam. But a betrayal caused the elemental forces of the forest - air, earth, fire and water - to become angered, resulting in a fierce battle and the entire forest being sealed for all time beneath a magical shield of mist. Clearly this story is being told in order to set the scene for a major plot point in this sequel, so it's not long before present day Elsa begins to hear voices - a mysterious siren, beckoning her with a beautiful melody. And when the terrifying elemental spirits strike the town of Arendelle, forcing its residents to flee for safety, she remembers the story we've just heard and heads off to the enchanted forest to look for answers and a resolution, closely followed by Anna, Kristoff, Sven and Olaf.

What follows is an epic adventure involving all of the main characters as they work together, or separately at times, to try and regain order and peace to this expanding world we're being introduced to. It becomes a quest to uncover the sisters ancestry and an attempt to undo damage caused by past generations with each character deals with their own personal transformation and growth. It's all beautifully animated, as you'd expect, full of peril, action and fun. And Olaf still manages to generate big laughs in pretty much every scene he's in!

Once again, Frozen 2 boasts an impressive soundtrack of songs. At least one is extremely powerful and catchy, knocking loudly at the door of 'Let It Go' in terms of memorability (admittedly, I've already listened to it a few times since leaving the cinema!), and there are more fun songs for Olaf to sing too. Kristoff comes up short though, getting dealt the worst of the songs, but that's not to say they're not still enjoyable.

Like Toy Story 4 earlier this year, Frozen 2 is a sequel that wasn't really necessary. But, as with Toy Story, it is still wonderful to be back in the company of such great characters. Having re-watched the original Frozen the day before seeing Frozen 2, I can honestly say that the sequel for me was just as enjoyable and entertaining as the first. Highly recommended.
  
TF
Together Forever (Orphan Train, #2)
10
10.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Any time I pick up a Jody Hedlund book, I wish I could just cancel the day and binge read. Alas, life happens and children must be fed...However, there is a point in each of her books that demands that you read past your bedtime in order to finish (and that happened to me last night).

Filled with rich detail and engaging history, Together Forever will whisk you away to another era. A heartbreaking time in our history, I have learned a lot about The Children's Aid Society and the orphan trains through this series.

Marianne Neumann is a young woman riddled with guilt from past decisions. She is in a place that I am sure many of us have been. Thinking that God no longer cares, or would even bother with the likes of her. Her journey of acceptance, truth, and love is one to cherish. I LOVE the tender, fun, and passionate Andrew Brady. He too battles with forgiving himself for past mistakes...but his faith and character make him stand out among heroes.

Jody Hedlund never ceases to capture my heart and soul with her stories and Together Forever, is no exception. Faith, family, and romance are at the heart of this story. Let it sweep you away and get lost in a good book today! Together Forever is Book TWO in the Orphan Train Series, make sure to check out the prequel (An Awakened Heart) and Book One (With You Always) first.

I received a complimentary copy of Together Forever from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.
  
The Baby Who Wouldn't Go To Bed
The Baby Who Wouldn't Go To Bed
Helen Cooper | 2000 | Children
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
The Best Bed Time Book For Babies & Toddlers. Ever.
This book is delightful on so many levels that it is almost difficult to know where to start. Cooper's artwork is, as always, breathtaking. The imaginative pictures depict a landscape made up of all the things around which the baby's world revolves: the sleepy tiger that is in fact a pyjama case; the train crowded with all the sleeping toys and nursery rhyme characters. Cooper builds a world that is enchanting and delightful to parents and at the same time interesting to children. More importantly her use of subtle colours, and soft lines add a restful and dreamlike quality to these images that is in keeping with the notion of sleep and bedtime.
And all that is before you even get to the text! This is a wonderfully well-structured story. The text starts out full of energy and vigour as the baby 'Vroom-chuga-chug's' off into this make-believe world and then gradually the pace becomes slower and more restful and - in the best possible way - more soporific.
It is not hard to read this book, the text leads even the most awkward reader by the hand, making it's own patterns and rhythms almost magically dictating the speed and volume for the reader.
I bought my first copy many years ago when the older of my nine children were still quite young and the smaller ones hadn't yet made an appearance. My youngest (now two) won't go to bed without it and I have reached the point of being able to read it without even thinking about it.
We've are on our third copy of this book and it has been universally successful, in spite of gender, taste and personality differences. It is hard to imagine a child to whom this book wouldn't appeal.