Search
Search results
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Kick-Ass (2010) in Movies
Aug 8, 2019
Kick-Ass starts out as a clever action movie with good humor interspersed throughout the first half, but by the second half the jokes trail off as the movie takes a blacker turn toward a mindless and confusing tale of morality.
Viewing this movie as a mindless action flick, it is impressive and at times humorous, albeit that humor, in the immersive first half, is deadened by the much darker scenes toward the end of the film. But if you’re trying to find a deeper message hidden behind the motivations and actions of the characters on screen, you perhaps would be better served by reading the comic first. The violence was surprisingly graphic for what started out as a clever and somewhat endearing highschool drama about not fitting in and trying to change the world for the better.
As the director of Layer Cake and Stardust, Matthew Vaughn has shown before that he knows how to do action and fantasy, and in this movie, the action scenes are tight and gripping and slightly surreal. You may even recognize a few cameos if you’re familiar with Guy Ritchie films.
Aaron Johnson, as the title character, brings a smart vulnerability to his part. As an overly ambitious, but well meaning comic book fan, his stabs at super-heroics were quite believable.
This movie may be titled Kick-Ass, but the most interesting character is Hit-Girl, played by Chloë Grace Moretz. Quite a few child actors come across as precocious, and Moretz is a welcome change. She shares some great scenes with Nicolas Cage, a vengeful father who has turned his 11 year-old daughter into a killing machine. Cage’s deadpan humor as Big Daddy matches surprisingly well with the giddy, foul-mouthed, black humor of Hit-Girl.
In a way, I may be doing the movie a disservice if I were to dwell on the plot holes, morality, and thematic elements of this movie which are clearly not the focused intent of the director. Not every movie is intended to be a deep and meaningful reflection on life, so in that regard, this movie is simply a blood-drenched charmer.
Viewing this movie as a mindless action flick, it is impressive and at times humorous, albeit that humor, in the immersive first half, is deadened by the much darker scenes toward the end of the film. But if you’re trying to find a deeper message hidden behind the motivations and actions of the characters on screen, you perhaps would be better served by reading the comic first. The violence was surprisingly graphic for what started out as a clever and somewhat endearing highschool drama about not fitting in and trying to change the world for the better.
As the director of Layer Cake and Stardust, Matthew Vaughn has shown before that he knows how to do action and fantasy, and in this movie, the action scenes are tight and gripping and slightly surreal. You may even recognize a few cameos if you’re familiar with Guy Ritchie films.
Aaron Johnson, as the title character, brings a smart vulnerability to his part. As an overly ambitious, but well meaning comic book fan, his stabs at super-heroics were quite believable.
This movie may be titled Kick-Ass, but the most interesting character is Hit-Girl, played by Chloë Grace Moretz. Quite a few child actors come across as precocious, and Moretz is a welcome change. She shares some great scenes with Nicolas Cage, a vengeful father who has turned his 11 year-old daughter into a killing machine. Cage’s deadpan humor as Big Daddy matches surprisingly well with the giddy, foul-mouthed, black humor of Hit-Girl.
In a way, I may be doing the movie a disservice if I were to dwell on the plot holes, morality, and thematic elements of this movie which are clearly not the focused intent of the director. Not every movie is intended to be a deep and meaningful reflection on life, so in that regard, this movie is simply a blood-drenched charmer.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2340 KP) rated Lights! Camera! Puzzles! in Books
Apr 25, 2019
Puzzling Murder on a Movie Set
Cora Felton, famed Puzzle Lady, is having her worst nightmare come true when a tell all book from her least favorite ex-husband becomes a bestseller and gets turned into a movie. She agrees to become an associate producer on the film in hopes of control some of the damage even if it means she has to spend time with her least favorite ex-husband on a daily basis. Before things can even get started, however, tragedy visits the set when a production assistant is killed. The police aren’t sure what to make of it, but Cora isn’t that concerned since it has nothing to do with her. However, as things continue to go wrong on the film, she begins to take a more active interest. Can she figure out who is behind everything happening?
As a longtime fan of the series, I was looking forward to Cora’s latest adventure only to find myself disappointed. The star of the series has always been the witty dialogue between Cora and the rest of the characters. I did laugh some, but I found most of it lacking the spark of the better books in the series. The plot is really a series of events, although Cora does get a clue at the end that helps her put things together. We spend most of the book in New York City on various locations, which leaves the series regulars on the sideline, and the new characters aren’t strong enough to carry the book. We do get a new crossword and Sudoku to solve as we read. This is one of those books where it is easy to pick on the shortcomings, but I was entertained as I breezed through the book. Still, this is one only for fans who need Cora’s latest adventure. Those new to the series won’t enjoy the book.
As a longtime fan of the series, I was looking forward to Cora’s latest adventure only to find myself disappointed. The star of the series has always been the witty dialogue between Cora and the rest of the characters. I did laugh some, but I found most of it lacking the spark of the better books in the series. The plot is really a series of events, although Cora does get a clue at the end that helps her put things together. We spend most of the book in New York City on various locations, which leaves the series regulars on the sideline, and the new characters aren’t strong enough to carry the book. We do get a new crossword and Sudoku to solve as we read. This is one of those books where it is easy to pick on the shortcomings, but I was entertained as I breezed through the book. Still, this is one only for fans who need Cora’s latest adventure. Those new to the series won’t enjoy the book.
Damian Sutton (4 KP) rated Ready Player One (2018) in Movies
May 3, 2019
A decent adaptation of a great book
Contains spoilers, click to show
From the get go, I think I'd best say I came to this with a pre-concieved notion that I was going to enjoy it, having read the book several times and having a long term love affair with Steven Spielberg (child of the 80s, so most of my formative years were spent sitting worshipping at the alter of Spielberg and Lucas) so I was aware that I was going to enjoy this film regardless, that said, there are moments in the film that fell flat for me, but on the whole....its a very enjoyable little action/adventure romp....with plenty in it for film lovers (the whole shining sequence had me grinning from ear to ear) and gamers too ( the whole film is deeply rooted in gamer culture and there are more gaming Easter eggs than you can shake a stick at) there's plenty of heart to this film too, and by the time the credits rolled I left the theatre thoroughly entertained, had this film come out a few years back, it would have been lauded as a sci-fi/adventure classic, however we now live in a post marvel world where every film they release seem to raise the bar very high, and films like this get lost in the shuffle a little, does this make it a worse movie....not at all, but it probably didn't get the acclaim it deserved because of being released in a sea of blockbusters.
So in closing, if you're looking for that perfect Sunday afternoon adventure film....you could do a lot worse than giving this a watch....see how many movie/gaming references you can spot
So in closing, if you're looking for that perfect Sunday afternoon adventure film....you could do a lot worse than giving this a watch....see how many movie/gaming references you can spot
BobbiesDustyPages (1259 KP) rated Dorothy Must Die in Books
Jul 23, 2017
the description of OZ (2 more)
The cowardly lion
the rest if the original gang
the plot just went in circles (2 more)
no real heroes
never really found it's footing
Not so Wonderful Oz (read in 2014)
This book had so much potential to be really amazing and different but in the end it just fell short. The characters were bland and the plot just felt like it was going around in circles trying to find a point where the real plot could take off. I know this is the first in the series so I am holding out a little hope that maybe the second book will be better.
The only thing I really liked was the description of OZ and it's more horror induced characters. I feel like this has more potential to be a good TV show or movie over a book.
The only thing I really liked was the description of OZ and it's more horror induced characters. I feel like this has more potential to be a good TV show or movie over a book.
Macbeth
Book
Why write about Roman Polanski's Macbeth (1971) as part of a series of books dedicated to the...
ZebraLily (5 KP) rated The Woman in the Window in Books
Mar 21, 2018
OMG...this book left me reeling!
OMG. O.M.G. This book. I have not had a book make me cry in quite a while. Since Tris died in Allegient, actually. You just can’t kill off the main character.... I digress. This book made me cry....which means that this author was absolutely phenomenal. He was so great at making the narrator a relatable character, that you could feel exactly what she felt, which placed you right in the story with her. Each thrill, mystery, clue, question, anxious moment, tense feeling of suffocation...you were there with her. Then, when the plot-twists happened...you didn’t even see them coming! Yes...I said them. There was MORE than one climax and intense moment in this story. Normally I can tell when to expect them.... but I was blown away a few times.... with one especially coming to mind. This is one story that will remain on my book shelves for years to come...making it’s way into my “To-be read pile” again-and-again.... for sure. I definitely cannot wait to see what this author brings next! I just hope the movie doesn’t ruin this.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) (2020) in Movies
Feb 7, 2020 (Updated Feb 7, 2020)
Garish and frantic comic book movie basically does your head in for nearly two hours. Never mind doing a Batman movie without Batman, now they've done a Joker movie without the Joker: annoying homicidal pole-dancer Harley Quinn breaks up with he of the green hair and gets mixed up in a hunt for a diamond-shaped McGuffin involving various other obscure and mostly female Batman characters. Full of movement and some not bad action choreography, but the plot is a disjointed mess and it's hard to escape the impression that the producers are treating you like an idiot.
Robbie's performance is basically just irritating; not sure whether this is entirely intentional or not. Ewan McGregor is definitely just bad, but the script is to blame anyway: when the writers appear to believe it's cool and funny to break someone's legs on a whim, it's hard to take them seriously when they try to take the high ground on any moral issue, as they also do. Amoral, superficial, and sadistically violent in places; generally quite dim-witted and depressing. Undoes all the good work of recent movies in detoxifying the DC brand: come back Zach Snyder, all is forgiven.
Robbie's performance is basically just irritating; not sure whether this is entirely intentional or not. Ewan McGregor is definitely just bad, but the script is to blame anyway: when the writers appear to believe it's cool and funny to break someone's legs on a whim, it's hard to take them seriously when they try to take the high ground on any moral issue, as they also do. Amoral, superficial, and sadistically violent in places; generally quite dim-witted and depressing. Undoes all the good work of recent movies in detoxifying the DC brand: come back Zach Snyder, all is forgiven.
Crystal (148 KP) rated Ready Player One in Books
Jun 4, 2018 (Updated Jun 8, 2018)
Gaming references (3 more)
80s Easter eggs
Immersive
Not your typical dystopia
Don't judge a book by its movie
I still have not seen the movie and I have heard mixed reviews. However, I very much enjoyed this book. If you are into young adult dystopia then this book is for you. Ready Player One is one of the few books I've read multiple times. It is one of those books where you can really catch on to little details you may have missed the first time around. This book is chock full of 80s pop culture references.
I say this book is a bit of a slow starter and that is because of the world building. We get to know the main character and his in real life daily issues and also the craftsmanship of the fully immersive VR world that is the Oasis. I felt like I was plugging in along with the other players.
Synopsis: The story takes place in the very near future. Sky rocketing gas prices have forced people to give up driving. Most people now actually work in a VR office rather than commuting. The economy has fallen apart and people depend on the Oasis for everything. The big baddie is a mega corporation that wants to control the Oasis, and in turn control the country/world. Regular kids raised by the Oasis take on this corporation simply by trying to win an Easter egg hunt set up by the games founder. The stakes are high. What starts off as a contest quickly becomes a matter of life and death as our heroes get closer to solving the quest and winning it all.
I say this book is a bit of a slow starter and that is because of the world building. We get to know the main character and his in real life daily issues and also the craftsmanship of the fully immersive VR world that is the Oasis. I felt like I was plugging in along with the other players.
Synopsis: The story takes place in the very near future. Sky rocketing gas prices have forced people to give up driving. Most people now actually work in a VR office rather than commuting. The economy has fallen apart and people depend on the Oasis for everything. The big baddie is a mega corporation that wants to control the Oasis, and in turn control the country/world. Regular kids raised by the Oasis take on this corporation simply by trying to win an Easter egg hunt set up by the games founder. The stakes are high. What starts off as a contest quickly becomes a matter of life and death as our heroes get closer to solving the quest and winning it all.
RavenclawPrincess913 (253 KP) rated Siren Queen in Books
Jun 8, 2022
Title: Siren Queen
Author: Nghi Vo
288 pages
Published: May 10th of 2022
Let's start off by I love the name of the book and the blue color palette on the cover. Blue makes it very pretty and anything that says "Siren" catches my intrest. Even though it's not about that I'm glad I read it. This book is about Luli Wei a beautiful talented wanting to be a star in pre-code Hollywood. In it she knows how the movie business can be very dangerous but she doesn't seem to be bothered by this. She also prefers to play a monster rather than a maid. She learns the worst monsters of all are not on screen but rather in reality around her in Hollywood. She also learns success always comes with a very steep price to pay and it's never lovely. This book caught my attention from the beginning and is well written. It has an interesting story plot and is one book I'd definitely reccomend. Also, reality is just sad.
Author: Nghi Vo
288 pages
Published: May 10th of 2022
Let's start off by I love the name of the book and the blue color palette on the cover. Blue makes it very pretty and anything that says "Siren" catches my intrest. Even though it's not about that I'm glad I read it. This book is about Luli Wei a beautiful talented wanting to be a star in pre-code Hollywood. In it she knows how the movie business can be very dangerous but she doesn't seem to be bothered by this. She also prefers to play a monster rather than a maid. She learns the worst monsters of all are not on screen but rather in reality around her in Hollywood. She also learns success always comes with a very steep price to pay and it's never lovely. This book caught my attention from the beginning and is well written. It has an interesting story plot and is one book I'd definitely reccomend. Also, reality is just sad.
Over My Dead Blog
9.0
Rate It
Book
Murder is just a click away for book blogger Arwen “Winnie” Lark. With review requests...