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Maddi Zoe (6 KP) rated Wonder (2017) in Movies
Feb 8, 2018
acting (2 more)
storyline
underlying message
Cute messages tugging at your heart strings
Based on the best-selling novel of the same name, Wonder, directed by Stephen Chbosky, is a wonderfully endearing and uplifting story about a boy, Auggie Pullman (Jacob Tremblay), who was born with Treacher Collins syndrome and has had several surgeries leaving him with facial deformities.
The movie starts as he is entering into fifth-grade, and actually going to school for the first time as he has previously been home schooled by his mother (Julia Roberts). He is understandably scared about not making friends, or being ridiculed by his classmates, but with the help of his Mum and Dad (Owen Wilson) he braves going to school and meets new people.
There are many moments of sadness, as you would expect, but there are also moments of great joy. I found myself crying from start to finish, riding on a rollercoaster of emotions.
There are a few mini storylines about other characters that get given the spotlight at different times as well, which is a nice change to when some films focus on just the one person, because we get to see other characters backgrounds, and why they act how they do.
The casting is brilliant, Tremblay plays Auggie excellently, bringing both emotion and sass to the character. He has been in a fair few things before, such as Before I Wake, but this role will definitely boost him into the spotlight.
Roberts and Wilson as the parents is also an excellent choice, Roberts gives an emotive performance, and it’s great to see Wilson in a serious role, whilst still bringing some light comic relief.
The cast has a lot of young actors, but there isn’t one that stands out as being stiff or unnatural, they are all brilliant and help to bring the feel of the movie together. The relationships between all the characters is brought to life really well by the actors.
The writing is brilliant, although it is based on a book so the story is there already, but the screenwriters, Chbosky, Steve Conrad and Jack Thorne, put it together for the screen really well.
There are some stand out quotes, that also come from the book, that make you stop and think, and the teacher, Mr Browne (Daveed Diggs), teaches the class about precepts such as ‘When given the choice between being right or being kind, choose kind’.
Overall, it’s a well-rounded family movie, that may change your outlook on some things in life. With such great casting, writing and direction, I’d be very surprised if it didn’t do well during awards season.
The movie starts as he is entering into fifth-grade, and actually going to school for the first time as he has previously been home schooled by his mother (Julia Roberts). He is understandably scared about not making friends, or being ridiculed by his classmates, but with the help of his Mum and Dad (Owen Wilson) he braves going to school and meets new people.
There are many moments of sadness, as you would expect, but there are also moments of great joy. I found myself crying from start to finish, riding on a rollercoaster of emotions.
There are a few mini storylines about other characters that get given the spotlight at different times as well, which is a nice change to when some films focus on just the one person, because we get to see other characters backgrounds, and why they act how they do.
The casting is brilliant, Tremblay plays Auggie excellently, bringing both emotion and sass to the character. He has been in a fair few things before, such as Before I Wake, but this role will definitely boost him into the spotlight.
Roberts and Wilson as the parents is also an excellent choice, Roberts gives an emotive performance, and it’s great to see Wilson in a serious role, whilst still bringing some light comic relief.
The cast has a lot of young actors, but there isn’t one that stands out as being stiff or unnatural, they are all brilliant and help to bring the feel of the movie together. The relationships between all the characters is brought to life really well by the actors.
The writing is brilliant, although it is based on a book so the story is there already, but the screenwriters, Chbosky, Steve Conrad and Jack Thorne, put it together for the screen really well.
There are some stand out quotes, that also come from the book, that make you stop and think, and the teacher, Mr Browne (Daveed Diggs), teaches the class about precepts such as ‘When given the choice between being right or being kind, choose kind’.
Overall, it’s a well-rounded family movie, that may change your outlook on some things in life. With such great casting, writing and direction, I’d be very surprised if it didn’t do well during awards season.
Daniel Holford (0 KP) rated It (2017) in Movies
Sep 20, 2017
The surprise hit film of the year is here and there's no wonder it's such a hit. Immediately from the outsit of the movie it is clear what this film is going to be. Frequent scares and creepiness, mixed with excellent visuals and directing, all spliced together with a great coming of age story. Think stranger things and stand by me, with added monsters and killer clowns.
The kids are brilliant throughout, the stand out being Richie and Beverly, the former having already kicked off his career by appearing in the excellent stranger things. Although I compared the two earlier, his character could not be more different. Beverly is also excellent in her role, a brilliant young actress who shows the sadness that Beverly hides behind her fears (perhaps the most chilling/uncomfortable moment in the movie). The other kids were also good, but some rather less well developed than the others, making their struggle with their scares far less satisfying than some of the more prominent kids. I must also admit that the greatest achievement this film has is replacing Tom Curry from the original movie and having an actor, almost, maybe actually surpassing him in the form of Bill Skarsgaard. He is excellently scary and charming in the creepiest way.
The films scares are in moderate but heavy bursts, rather than the usual constant jump scares there is often anti climaxes, tension building with little to no big jump or sound effect which works in the horror franchise almost as much as a larger scare.
Overall this film has many elements that make it such a hit, the Stranger Things hype train certainly had helped it along its way. As well as having perfect comedy, great characters, directing and visuals and most of all, scares.
The kids are brilliant throughout, the stand out being Richie and Beverly, the former having already kicked off his career by appearing in the excellent stranger things. Although I compared the two earlier, his character could not be more different. Beverly is also excellent in her role, a brilliant young actress who shows the sadness that Beverly hides behind her fears (perhaps the most chilling/uncomfortable moment in the movie). The other kids were also good, but some rather less well developed than the others, making their struggle with their scares far less satisfying than some of the more prominent kids. I must also admit that the greatest achievement this film has is replacing Tom Curry from the original movie and having an actor, almost, maybe actually surpassing him in the form of Bill Skarsgaard. He is excellently scary and charming in the creepiest way.
The films scares are in moderate but heavy bursts, rather than the usual constant jump scares there is often anti climaxes, tension building with little to no big jump or sound effect which works in the horror franchise almost as much as a larger scare.
Overall this film has many elements that make it such a hit, the Stranger Things hype train certainly had helped it along its way. As well as having perfect comedy, great characters, directing and visuals and most of all, scares.
Sarah (7800 KP) rated The Umbrella Academy in TV
Mar 6, 2019
Deserving of the hype
I have to admit, I was pretty impressed with this show. It's not every day when you watch something that meets all of the hype surrounding it, and I was quite sceptical to begin with.
The show manages to brilliantly blend action, the supernatural and dark humour to form an intriguing and interesting adult plot, with just enough twists to keep you hooked without going too OTT (Lost style). It also has some brilliant fight scenes (with a decent amount of blood and gore) that are paired with a truly killer soundtrack. And it has fortunately gone down the adult route rather than making this suitable for kids like some of the Marvel type shows/films.
The characters too for the most part are witty, deep and well thought out, from the family members to the villains Hazel and Cha-Cha. My favourites are by far Five and Klaus. Robert Sheehan is a great actor, I've loved him since Misfits and he's really perfect for Klaus. And Aidan Gallagher is brilliant as the old man in a child's body Five, there's something very humorous seeing a thirteen year old outsmarting and killing people. He's a true delight whenever he's on screen. My only real issue with the characters is with Vanya. For me I found her very dull to begin with and I thought her entire storyline was a teeny bit predictable. She does pick up and get more interesting towards the end, it's just a shame she puts a downer on the earlier episodes. Luckily the rest of the show more than makes up for it.
I can't begin to say how devastated I was at the end of the final episode. I could've quite happily watched more, so I really hope they renew this for another season.
The show manages to brilliantly blend action, the supernatural and dark humour to form an intriguing and interesting adult plot, with just enough twists to keep you hooked without going too OTT (Lost style). It also has some brilliant fight scenes (with a decent amount of blood and gore) that are paired with a truly killer soundtrack. And it has fortunately gone down the adult route rather than making this suitable for kids like some of the Marvel type shows/films.
The characters too for the most part are witty, deep and well thought out, from the family members to the villains Hazel and Cha-Cha. My favourites are by far Five and Klaus. Robert Sheehan is a great actor, I've loved him since Misfits and he's really perfect for Klaus. And Aidan Gallagher is brilliant as the old man in a child's body Five, there's something very humorous seeing a thirteen year old outsmarting and killing people. He's a true delight whenever he's on screen. My only real issue with the characters is with Vanya. For me I found her very dull to begin with and I thought her entire storyline was a teeny bit predictable. She does pick up and get more interesting towards the end, it's just a shame she puts a downer on the earlier episodes. Luckily the rest of the show more than makes up for it.
I can't begin to say how devastated I was at the end of the final episode. I could've quite happily watched more, so I really hope they renew this for another season.
Alice (12 KP) rated The Furthest Station (Peter Grant, #5.5) in Books
Jul 3, 2018
<i>Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me a copy in exchange for an honest review </i>
<i>The Furthest Station</i> starts off with the same flair we've seen in previous installments to the Peter Grant series and I'll tell you, it's good to be back with Peter.
Though short at only 144 pages The Furthest Station is packed with enough information to give you an insight into the trouble peter can get into when left to his own devices.
This novella is about ghosts predominantly and we experience Toby the wonder dog in his element. The same characters from the previous books star with a special mention to Jaget and Abigail - Abigail in particular was brilliant - incredibly smart and up on all thing supernatural.
Ben Aaronovitch's typical descriptive monologing through Peter is as always brilliant. My favourite is below:
<blockquote> ...it is the cry of the guilty middle-class homeowner.
This sort of thing always creates a dilemma since the scale of guilt you're dealing with ranges from using a hosepipe during a ban to having just finished cementing your abusive husband into the patio.</blockquote>
The ghosts eventually give Peter the information he needs to locate a crime happening and in true Folly flair it's filled with supernatural hijinks and Nightingale at his best. The magic was few and far between but the ghosts made up for it and the relationship between Peter, Nightingale and Abigail as well as Abigail and Molly were written very well. I look forward to seeing where the growing friendship between Abigail and Molly goes in the next books.
It was a touch odd reading book 5.7 after reading book 6 but there were no crossed boundaries that made things seem complicated so great news there. Overall, very well written.
<i>The Furthest Station</i> starts off with the same flair we've seen in previous installments to the Peter Grant series and I'll tell you, it's good to be back with Peter.
Though short at only 144 pages The Furthest Station is packed with enough information to give you an insight into the trouble peter can get into when left to his own devices.
This novella is about ghosts predominantly and we experience Toby the wonder dog in his element. The same characters from the previous books star with a special mention to Jaget and Abigail - Abigail in particular was brilliant - incredibly smart and up on all thing supernatural.
Ben Aaronovitch's typical descriptive monologing through Peter is as always brilliant. My favourite is below:
<blockquote> ...it is the cry of the guilty middle-class homeowner.
This sort of thing always creates a dilemma since the scale of guilt you're dealing with ranges from using a hosepipe during a ban to having just finished cementing your abusive husband into the patio.</blockquote>
The ghosts eventually give Peter the information he needs to locate a crime happening and in true Folly flair it's filled with supernatural hijinks and Nightingale at his best. The magic was few and far between but the ghosts made up for it and the relationship between Peter, Nightingale and Abigail as well as Abigail and Molly were written very well. I look forward to seeing where the growing friendship between Abigail and Molly goes in the next books.
It was a touch odd reading book 5.7 after reading book 6 but there were no crossed boundaries that made things seem complicated so great news there. Overall, very well written.
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Cat and Mouse (Alex Cross, #4) in Books
Jul 22, 2019
Another brilliant Alex Cross
Contains spoilers, click to show
Alex Cross is back-and so is a raging and suicidal Gary Soneji. Out of prison and dying from the AIDS virus he contracted there, he will get revenge on Cross before he dies. In addition, we are introduced to a new pair of rivals whose paths cross that of Alex and Soneji. Thomas Augustine Pierce has been chasing his demon, Mr. Smith, since the savage murder of his fiancee. Mr. Smith is a unique monster, with actions toward his victims so insane-so unimaginable-that he is thought of as "not of the earth." Pierce, known in the business as St. Augustine because of his track record for catching killers and his invaluable status to the FBI and Interpol, may even be better than Cross.When things heat up and Alex is in a near-death coma following an attack in his own home, Pierce goes to Washington to help with the investigation. But just as he begins to piece together the mystery of how Gary Soneji could have mortally wounded Cross after he was believed to be dead, he is summoned to Paris with a postcard from Mr. Smith inviting him to a very special killing.The body count is high, the tension the highest, and the two killers on the loose are watching every move their pursuers make. Who is the cat, and who is the mouse? What and where is the final trap? And who survives?
This is a reread and one of my favourites from James Patterson. I love Alex Cross and the characters in these books. Patterson is such a brilliant writer.
I cheered as he finally got Soneji that evil SOB needed taking down! I do think Smith was quite easy to pick out from the start.
On to the next Alex Cross book .
Recommended

This is a reread and one of my favourites from James Patterson. I love Alex Cross and the characters in these books. Patterson is such a brilliant writer.
I cheered as he finally got Soneji that evil SOB needed taking down! I do think Smith was quite easy to pick out from the start.
On to the next Alex Cross book .
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Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Magical Midlife Madness (Levelling Up Book #1) in Books
Feb 13, 2021
21 of 250
Kindle
Magical midlife madness ( Levelling up book 1)
By K.F. Breene
Once read a review will be written via Smashbomb and link posted in comments
A woman starting over. A new house with an unexpected twist. A cape wearing butler acting as the world's worst life coach.
"Happily Ever After" wasn't supposed to come with a do-over option. But when my husband of twenty years packs up and heads for greener pastures and my son leaves for college, that's exactly what my life becomes.
Do-over.
This time, though, I plan to do things differently. Age is just a number, after all, and at forty I'm ready to carve my own path.
Eager for a fresh start, I make a somewhat unorthodox decision and move to a tiny town in the Sierra foothills. I'll be taking care of a centuries old house that called to me when I was a kid. It's just temporary, I tell myself. It'll just be for a while.
That is, until I learn what the house really is, something I never could've imagined.
Thankfully forty isn't too old to start an adventure, because that's exactly what I do. A very dangerous adventure that will change my life forever. I have a chance to start again, and this time, I make the rules.
Absolutely brilliant!! I laughed so much reading this it’s not at all what I had expected. Midlife meltdown with magic and creatures the only other author that has me laughing this much Is Darynda Jones! I love the relationships all the characters have with each other they are so well though out and written. Can’t wait to see what kicks off now she has magic. Brilliant!!