Search

Search only in certain items:

Fighting with My Family (2019)
Fighting with My Family (2019)
2019 | Biography, Comedy, Drama
Characters are full and detailed. (1 more)
Story is heartfelt and relatable.
Though a true story, a lot of details are quickly glossed over. (0 more)
Great wrestling movie.
Been looking forward to this one and I wasn't disappointed. Granted, I have to say I'm a bit biased as a wrestling diehard. But, this movie is great. Paige and her family are full, detailed characters. You can relate from the onset. Sure, the story is a bit corny and many details and events are glossed over, but it's a story about family and the dream of being a professional wrestler. It fits perfectly with the subject matter. Like wrestling, we don't need all the deep details. You just tell a great story and get the audience to feel something. Which is what this movie does. Is it the next Best Picture Oscar winner? No. But it truly is a glorious tale of the importance of family and never giving up on your dreams.
  
Escape From Tomorrow (2013)
Escape From Tomorrow (2013)
2013 | Drama, Horror, Mystery
3
5.0 (2 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Its imaginative, and surreal (0 more)
Virtually everything else (0 more)
Not a magical movie...
I don't like writing negative reviews, but this confusing story about a family visiting disney world is...well its a mess.

Its a Lynchian dreamscape of a film, which hints at a lot but doesn't really every explain much, other than to suggest there is a dark undercurrent to Disney.

The fact is though that the narrative is untidy and weirdly paced, and can't ever really settle on what it is that it wants viewers to feel.

You can argue thats the point of this sort of film, but there doesn't feel like there is any cleverness to the confusion, just a movie that deliberately tries to unbalance you for no other reason than to have you unbalanced.

I don't really want to say much more other than that there are many better films out there than this, so only watch this if you really fancy a challenge.
  
Because We are Bad: OCD and a Girl Lost in Thought
Because We are Bad: OCD and a Girl Lost in Thought
Lily Bailey | 2016 | Biography
10
10.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Lily Bailey (0 more)
A true Journey of the mind
Wow, what a tale of loss, love, and everything in between leading to ultimate redemption and recovery.
This will make you laugh, make you cry, you will feel sadness, empathy, sympathy and laugther all at the same time.
I would say this is majorly helpful to anyone suffering with ocd as it made me feel glad, almost like huh it's not just me, it was so relatable and you can get a very real sense of the author's pain and turmoil dealing with the rigors of daily life with ocd on her back.
From her days at school to uni to working and all the times between this has indeed been a roller-coaster ride of emotion especially considering the author is still in her 20s.
Hopefully she opens up again in future and shares more of her journey.
I am personally thankful lily Bailey shared this with us.
  
Starship Troopers (1997)
Starship Troopers (1997)
1997 | Action, Sci-Fi
Do you know what? Starship Troopers is a 5 star film and there's nothing anyone can say to convince me otherwise.
It's 90s sci-fi at its absolute best.

It has a great cast - Casper Van Dien, Denise Richards, Michael Ironside, Clancy Brown, Dina Meyer, Neil Patrick-Harris, Jake Busey - none of them feel replaceable.
It has special effects that genuinely still.homd up over 20 years later, and also a fuck tonne of genuinely horrific practical effects - some of the violence in Starship Troopers is next level, in true Paul Verhoeven style.
It has a corny yet airtight script, it's suitably cheesy when it wants to be, and wonderfully satirical throughout.
It's also got a top tier score courtesy of Basil Poledouris.

I saw this film when I was in my early teens, a few years after it released and it has always stuck with me since. Starship Troopers is perfection, fight me.
  
The Umbrella Academy - Season 2
The Umbrella Academy - Season 2
2020 | Drama, Fantasy, Sci-Fi
What a perfect carry on!
Contains spoilers, click to show
Right, first off let me just say season 1 was brilliant and they couldn't have followed up any better with season 2.

Acting was spot on from every single actor/actress, everyone played their rolls amazingly. This was the perfect carry on with plenty of action, lots of twists and turns and a well thought out ending.

Only one scene bothered me, there is a scene with their dad, he confronted a room full of men by taking off his skin and underneath he was an alien, I mean i get he is curious about the dark side of the moon, but an alien? At what point does this have anything to do with the program. Unless there will be an ending of sorts where you find out he created these beings with gifts in some weird alien way....... We will see, can not wait for season 3!
  
40x40

Sarah (7800 KP) Aug 11, 2020

I'm very intrigued about that too. They showed it then never referred to it again - got to be something weird going on!

40x40

Jackjack (877 KP) Aug 12, 2020

100% it did annoy me that they never mentioned it before then threw it in there for one random short scene 🤦‍♂️😂 we will see......

Morbius (2022)
Morbius (2022)
2022 | Action, Sci-Fi
Morbius, the living vampire.

What can I say, other than it is getting terrible reviews?

Starring Jared Leto and Matt Smith, you think the former would have learned from his abysmal Suicide Squad role, with the latter not seeming to have much luck at all with his Hollywood choices despite starring as one of the biggest names in British TV: that of The Doctor.

Basically? Leto plays a scientist suffering from a rare blood disorder who, in an attempt to cure himself by splicing Vampire Bat DNA to his own (don't think too hard about the science!) manages to turn himself into (more or less) a vampire. Anti-hero, basically.

Set in the same universe as Venom - with those films getting a wink wink nudge nudge moment - if not the main MCU this is relatively short, very murkily shot (I still haven't got a clue what went on during the final scenes) and lacks the draw of Tom Hardy completely over acting.
  
QO
Queen of Light ( The Chosen # 4)
Meg Anne | 2023
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
19 of 235
Kindle
Queen of Light (The Chosen #4)
By Meg Anne
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Only one of them can win.

Kiri Helena Solene is done burying her loved ones. She is going to put an end to this war, one way or another.

Even if it means she loses herself in the process.

But in matters of war, Rowena has no intention of losing. The Corruptor knows Helena's greatest strength is also her weakness, and she has every intention of exploiting it.

Especially if that means removing key players from the board.

The path ahead is fraught with betrayal. The only thing that's certain....

It won't end until one of them is dead.


Couldn’t have asked for a better ending! Also we had a happy start instead of one with death! Was so lovely to see nial get his make. I won’t say much because I wouldn’t want to spoil the end! I’m certainly ready to move on to the Keepers stories.
  
What to Expect When You're Expecting (2012)
What to Expect When You're Expecting (2012)
2012 | Comedy, Drama, Romance
4
6.2 (9 Ratings)
Movie Rating
First off, a disclaimer: I have not read the book What to Expect When You’re Expecting; nor do I have any kids of my own. That being said….

This film shows you five different stories that are not all connected, but they do intersect each other’s paths several times. The stories follow different scenarios that you can expect when you, as a couple, are expecting a baby. These five stories are the easy pregnancy, the difficult on the woman’s body pregnancy, the difficult on the relationship pregnancy, the miscarriage and the adoption.

The film has a stellar lineup for the cast. Cameron Diaz (There’s Something About Mary, Bad Teacher) plays celebrity Jules who is on a Dancing-with-the-Stars-esque show, who ends up in a relationship with her dance partner Evan, played by Matthew Morrison (Glee, Music and Lyrics). Elizabeth Banks (Zack and Miri, The Hunger Games) is Wendy, the owner of a baby store and author of a baby’s book who has been desperately trying to get pregnant with her husband Gary played by Ben Falcone (Bridesmaids). Anna Kendrick (Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, Up In The Air) is Rosie, the owner of a food truck who has a one-night stand with high school crush Marco, played by Chace Crawford (The Covenant, Gossip Girl). Jennifer Lopez (American Idol, Out of Sight) is Holly, a photographer who is attempting to go the Brangelina route by adopting a baby from Ethiopia with her husband Alex, played by Rodrigo Santoro (300, I Love You Phillip Morris). Lastly, we have Skyler who is portrayed by Brooklyn Decker (Just Go With It, Battleship). She is a stay-at-home wife married to retired NASCAR driver Ramsey, who is played by Dennis Quaid (The Day After Tomorrow, Vantage Point).

Aside from the main cast, there is also a great supporting cast with the likes of Chris Rock (Grown Ups, Death At A Funeral), Joe Manganiello (True Blood), Thomas Lennon (Reno 911, I Love You, Man), Rebel Wilson (Bridesmaids) and many more.

Based on the trailers for What to Expect When You’re Expecting, the movie looked to be a very promising comedy. I am sad to say, I was very disappointed. The trailers make it look like “The Dudes Group” is a main focus of the story, but it is only a reprieve from the main story lines. This is a shame because for me, “The Dudes Group” had the funniest moments in the movie. The rest of the film, while heart-warming at moments, seemed to lack any real attempt to make a connection with the audience. To me, the relationships just seemed unreal.

This is not to say that there are not those out there who will not enjoy the film. The ladies behind me in the theatre seemed to be laughing the whole time, but it just wasn’t my cup of tea. I once heard my editor (Gareth Von Kallenbach) say that this was a great idea, but it may have been better presented as a TV show. I have to say that I agree whole-heartedly. It would have made a great weekly sitcom, probably with the series centered on “The Dudes Group” (as I said, funniest moments in the movies). But it looks like there may be something along these lines on the horizon any way with the upcoming NBC comedy: Guys With Kids.
  
(This review can also be found on my blog <a href="http://themisadventuresofatwentysomething.blogspot.com/">The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Something Year Old Girl</a>).


Okay, so I'm addicted to blog book comps. That's no secret. When I came across a blog giving away a copy of a book entitled A Girl Named Willow Krimble, I was intrigued by the whole synopsis. It sounded super cool, and I definitely was not disappointed one bit after reading this book.

Willow Krimble is a 13 year old girl with a big heart. She tries to see the best in everyone and tries to help out in whatever she can. One day, when a neighbor falls ill, Willow realizes that she's got the unique ability to heal others. Not knowing where these powers came from, Willow must keep her ability from others lest they think she is crazy.

I love the simplicity of the title. The book is about exactly what it says in the title: A Girl Named Willow Krimble. Okay, I know it's not very original, but it definitely suits this book.

I love the cartoon style of the cover. I think a lot of middle graders would find this cover very appealing instead of just some photo of a random girl. The artwork on the cover is amazing even if Willow does appear to be older on the cover than just 13 years.

The world building is very much believable. Willow sees her world as I imagine a 13 year old girl would. The situations Willow found herself in seemed to be very real, and I had no problems imagining the scenes.

I thought the pacing in this novel was superb! Usually, when I read middle grade novels, I try to put myself in that sort of mind frame. However, as an adult, I still loved the pacing. Not one point in the book did I find myself becoming bored or wishing I hadn't started reading this book.

I loved all the characters and thought Mr. Biano did an excellent job bringing them to life. I loved the fact that Willow had a disability but didn't let that stop her. She had a big heart and wanted to share her happiness with the world. I found Razzel, Willow's best friend, to be quite the character. I loved her feistiness and the way she was very protective of Willow. Razzel was such a strong kick-butt character, and I fell in love with how funny and great she was. I'd say she was definitely my favorite character. Wyatt, Willow's older brother, made me chuckle a lot of the time as well. I love how he was constantly eating all the time...well, most of the time. Shayla was definitely an interesting character that I enjoyed. I won't go into too much detail though because I don't want to give anything away.

The dialogue between characters was fun to read. I loved the dialogue between Razzel and Willow the most though because of the chemistry between them. You could definitely tell how much they cared for each other. Do be aware that there are a couple of swear words but nothing major.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading A Girl Named Willow Krimble by Giuseppe Bianco. It is such a heartwarming read, and one I think everyone will enjoy. The only minor annoyance I had was most of the characters had such unusual names. But as I stated previously, that's just a minor thing that doesn't really take anything away from the book.

I'd recommend this book to everyone aged 13+ as it's such a lovely and warming read.

Overall, I'd give A Girl Named Willow Krimble (Willow Krimble #1) by Giuseppe Bianco a 4.75 out of 5.