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Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated The Valkyrie’s Bond ( Half - Blood Rising book 1) in Books
Jul 22, 2022
125 of 230
Kindle
The Valkyrie’s Bond ( Half-Blood Rising book 1)
By Lucy Roy
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
As a rare halfblood among a race of witches and shifters, Freya has enjoyed living a quiet life away from the royal court of Lindoroth and among those who know little about her. She’s had the freedom to make her own choices, and fighting alongside the local marshals is just an added bonus.
When obligation arrives on her doorstep to remind her of promises made long ago, her quiet life comes to an end. With hardly time to say goodbye, Freya is whisked off to the capital city of Iladel to attend a prestigious royal academy with her peers, where appearances can be deceiving and connections are everything. While there, she’ll be reunited with her childhood friend, Prince Aerelius, and begin to experience life at the royal court in ways she never did as a girl.
As Freya and the prince dive into old routines and explore new feelings, they uncover the secrets and schemes that lurk below the court’s surface. When a secret is unveiled that changes everything, they must do whatever is necessary to ensure the safety of their kingdom. If they fail, long-held alliances will shatter and war will come to the shores of their land, threatening all they hold dear.
I adore this author and this didn’t disappoint. I love the world and character builds and the story came to so well. I love the idea of the Valkyries they are fascinating. If I had one thing that maybe stopped it being a 5⭐️ was that it waited till the last 4 chapters before the action kicked in. Although the build up was still enough to make me want more.
Kindle
The Valkyrie’s Bond ( Half-Blood Rising book 1)
By Lucy Roy
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
As a rare halfblood among a race of witches and shifters, Freya has enjoyed living a quiet life away from the royal court of Lindoroth and among those who know little about her. She’s had the freedom to make her own choices, and fighting alongside the local marshals is just an added bonus.
When obligation arrives on her doorstep to remind her of promises made long ago, her quiet life comes to an end. With hardly time to say goodbye, Freya is whisked off to the capital city of Iladel to attend a prestigious royal academy with her peers, where appearances can be deceiving and connections are everything. While there, she’ll be reunited with her childhood friend, Prince Aerelius, and begin to experience life at the royal court in ways she never did as a girl.
As Freya and the prince dive into old routines and explore new feelings, they uncover the secrets and schemes that lurk below the court’s surface. When a secret is unveiled that changes everything, they must do whatever is necessary to ensure the safety of their kingdom. If they fail, long-held alliances will shatter and war will come to the shores of their land, threatening all they hold dear.
I adore this author and this didn’t disappoint. I love the world and character builds and the story came to so well. I love the idea of the Valkyries they are fascinating. If I had one thing that maybe stopped it being a 5⭐️ was that it waited till the last 4 chapters before the action kicked in. Although the build up was still enough to make me want more.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Cloud Atlas (2012) in Movies
Aug 7, 2019
While I am not familiar with the novel, I was not excited to review the film adaptation of David Mitchell’s Cloud Atlas. Though the Screenplay was written and directed by the Wachowskis (The Matrix) and Tom Tykwer (Run Lola Run) I did not know exactly what I was getting into. The trailer shows it as an epic sci-fi film crossing the time and lives of several stories and how everything and everyone is connected. Needless to say my curiosity was piqued. But I was nervous because I knew it would take a grand effort to keep this epic and ambitious project from falling flat. And well, I can honestly say that I am not quite sure if the combined effort succeeded.
Allow me to explain. About an hour into the film I had a young film reviewer to my left and I noticed he started to nod his head in approval at each new developing story throughout the film. To my right was a friend of mine, I would consider as an average film viewer, who at this same time I could tell was counting the minutes till the lights came up but felt trapped with nowhere to go but forward. And for me, I can see both sides of these reactions.
The plot is comprised of a multi-narrative of six stories, each with a complete beginning, middle and end. These stories are told from different timelines following a group of souls throughout the ages to show how everything is woven together and the connection between them; From the 1849 slave trader, to a young composer in 1936 Britain, to a 1973 journalist attempting to uncover corruption of the big business ruling class, to a 2012 literary publisher who’s life becomes a daring escape from a geriatric home, to a 2144 Neo-Soul synthetic learning to become human, to a post-apocalyptic tribesman trying to save his world and family… Lost yet? Believe me you will want to focus during the first hour of this film as we are introduced to the sudden shift of timelines. All of the main actors appear as varying characters of significance in every narrative, each with different accents and types of language. It is a bit of an unexpected bother to keep everything straight at first, however if you pay attention it is fairly easy to follow. This first hour is where I feel the film becomes a make or break for those actively thinking about what they are watching and the average movie viewer who is just there to be entertained and see the new Tom Hanks (Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close) or Halle Berry (Perfect Stanger) movie. For those who make it through that first hour still engaged, the film moves along at a steady pace and provides everything from romance to action that keeps you guessing and intrigued at what is next to come.
The Wachowskis and Tykwer do an outstanding job of visually fleshing out each timeline in its own visual style, especially the futuristic ones, which subtlety organize each narrative for the viewer. Additionally, there are so many talented actors in this film and it is somewhat fascinating to try and pick them out throughout the film. It is almost like a giant game of Where’s Waldo on screen as the makeup and special effects artists do a fantastic job of making the actors fit each character in every timeline. In fact, during the fourth or fifth timeline a lady in my row asked her partner if the man on screen was Forrest Gump, which was surprising because Hanks was the easiest character to pick out among them all.
Tom Hanks delivers one of his better performances in years. We watch his character’s soul transition from a sinister and vile doctor to a tribesman making the righteous choice while struggling with that inkling of evil that is the devil within us all. It was refreshing to see Hanks play parts that were not just an “everyman” that he has played in recent years.
Halle Berry’s performance is mostly average in her parts with the exception of 1973 journalist role where she is the main protagonist. Hugo Weaving channels a bit of his Agent Smith role from The Matrix as he plays a villain throughout the timelines. Hugh Grant (Love Actually) makes unexpected soild appearances throughout the timelines. With Jim Sturgess (One Day), James D’Arcy (Mansfield Park) and Ben Whishaw (who is the new Q in the upcoming James Bond film Skyfall) rounding out the cast with a young contrast to the already heavy acting handled by the bigger names of this film. Each of these young actors hold’s their own against their older more notable counterparts. Whishaw’s performance as the lead in the 1936 composer role is especially noteworthy.
The other stand out performance in the film comes from Jim Broadbent best known in the states as Professor Slughorn in the Harry Potter Films. His performance in the 1936 composer and 2012 literary publisher are excellent. The Publisher story was my favorite timeline throughout the film. Not only did it deliver some much needed comic relief to an emotionally engaging and heavy film, but it also made me care the most about the elderly characters trying to escape the clutches of the geriatric prison of a nursing home. Unfortunately, other than the aforementioned comic relief this timeline seemed the most unnecessary to the overarching story at hand.
When I left the film and talked it over with my friend I was indifferent to the film. It was not great, it was not bad either. As my friend described it, it was a movie that was trying too hard. We agreed that somewhere in the six storylines there may be a great film, but we were not sure if we watched it.
However as the days have passed I have found myself thinking about the stories constantly. More specifically about how the main protagonist played by a different actor in each narrative has the same birthmark of a shooting star that in some way symbolizes some universal soul encompassing a new shell of a body in each timeline. Like some kind of reincarnation of that soul is fighting the same revolution throughout the ages against the powerful class and illusion of natural order. Additionally how each of the central characters found themselves connected with the main characters in the stories that preceded them through some kind of medium; whether it was by an old journal, or love letters, or a written story, or film, or message of hope. These subtle insights of growth and change for this main soul leaping into a new life in each timeline has caused me to examine our world and how we as people can be truly connected to one another not only today, but throughout the ages. I want to view the film again and am inspired to read the novel in some sort of effort to better understand these concepts.
Nevertheless as a film that is almost three hours long it does its best to be an epic sci-fi film and give something for everyone. And while it succeeds in many aspects of feel, it also falls short in aspects that are probably best accomplished in a literary form. As I said above, somewhere in the six storylines there may be a great film, but I am not sure if I watched it. Or maybe I am not intelligent enough to comprehend it. Because of that I can only give it an average score. Though I believe if you ask me after a second viewing, I may be inclined to raise it.
Allow me to explain. About an hour into the film I had a young film reviewer to my left and I noticed he started to nod his head in approval at each new developing story throughout the film. To my right was a friend of mine, I would consider as an average film viewer, who at this same time I could tell was counting the minutes till the lights came up but felt trapped with nowhere to go but forward. And for me, I can see both sides of these reactions.
The plot is comprised of a multi-narrative of six stories, each with a complete beginning, middle and end. These stories are told from different timelines following a group of souls throughout the ages to show how everything is woven together and the connection between them; From the 1849 slave trader, to a young composer in 1936 Britain, to a 1973 journalist attempting to uncover corruption of the big business ruling class, to a 2012 literary publisher who’s life becomes a daring escape from a geriatric home, to a 2144 Neo-Soul synthetic learning to become human, to a post-apocalyptic tribesman trying to save his world and family… Lost yet? Believe me you will want to focus during the first hour of this film as we are introduced to the sudden shift of timelines. All of the main actors appear as varying characters of significance in every narrative, each with different accents and types of language. It is a bit of an unexpected bother to keep everything straight at first, however if you pay attention it is fairly easy to follow. This first hour is where I feel the film becomes a make or break for those actively thinking about what they are watching and the average movie viewer who is just there to be entertained and see the new Tom Hanks (Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close) or Halle Berry (Perfect Stanger) movie. For those who make it through that first hour still engaged, the film moves along at a steady pace and provides everything from romance to action that keeps you guessing and intrigued at what is next to come.
The Wachowskis and Tykwer do an outstanding job of visually fleshing out each timeline in its own visual style, especially the futuristic ones, which subtlety organize each narrative for the viewer. Additionally, there are so many talented actors in this film and it is somewhat fascinating to try and pick them out throughout the film. It is almost like a giant game of Where’s Waldo on screen as the makeup and special effects artists do a fantastic job of making the actors fit each character in every timeline. In fact, during the fourth or fifth timeline a lady in my row asked her partner if the man on screen was Forrest Gump, which was surprising because Hanks was the easiest character to pick out among them all.
Tom Hanks delivers one of his better performances in years. We watch his character’s soul transition from a sinister and vile doctor to a tribesman making the righteous choice while struggling with that inkling of evil that is the devil within us all. It was refreshing to see Hanks play parts that were not just an “everyman” that he has played in recent years.
Halle Berry’s performance is mostly average in her parts with the exception of 1973 journalist role where she is the main protagonist. Hugo Weaving channels a bit of his Agent Smith role from The Matrix as he plays a villain throughout the timelines. Hugh Grant (Love Actually) makes unexpected soild appearances throughout the timelines. With Jim Sturgess (One Day), James D’Arcy (Mansfield Park) and Ben Whishaw (who is the new Q in the upcoming James Bond film Skyfall) rounding out the cast with a young contrast to the already heavy acting handled by the bigger names of this film. Each of these young actors hold’s their own against their older more notable counterparts. Whishaw’s performance as the lead in the 1936 composer role is especially noteworthy.
The other stand out performance in the film comes from Jim Broadbent best known in the states as Professor Slughorn in the Harry Potter Films. His performance in the 1936 composer and 2012 literary publisher are excellent. The Publisher story was my favorite timeline throughout the film. Not only did it deliver some much needed comic relief to an emotionally engaging and heavy film, but it also made me care the most about the elderly characters trying to escape the clutches of the geriatric prison of a nursing home. Unfortunately, other than the aforementioned comic relief this timeline seemed the most unnecessary to the overarching story at hand.
When I left the film and talked it over with my friend I was indifferent to the film. It was not great, it was not bad either. As my friend described it, it was a movie that was trying too hard. We agreed that somewhere in the six storylines there may be a great film, but we were not sure if we watched it.
However as the days have passed I have found myself thinking about the stories constantly. More specifically about how the main protagonist played by a different actor in each narrative has the same birthmark of a shooting star that in some way symbolizes some universal soul encompassing a new shell of a body in each timeline. Like some kind of reincarnation of that soul is fighting the same revolution throughout the ages against the powerful class and illusion of natural order. Additionally how each of the central characters found themselves connected with the main characters in the stories that preceded them through some kind of medium; whether it was by an old journal, or love letters, or a written story, or film, or message of hope. These subtle insights of growth and change for this main soul leaping into a new life in each timeline has caused me to examine our world and how we as people can be truly connected to one another not only today, but throughout the ages. I want to view the film again and am inspired to read the novel in some sort of effort to better understand these concepts.
Nevertheless as a film that is almost three hours long it does its best to be an epic sci-fi film and give something for everyone. And while it succeeds in many aspects of feel, it also falls short in aspects that are probably best accomplished in a literary form. As I said above, somewhere in the six storylines there may be a great film, but I am not sure if I watched it. Or maybe I am not intelligent enough to comprehend it. Because of that I can only give it an average score. Though I believe if you ask me after a second viewing, I may be inclined to raise it.
KittyMiku (138 KP) rated Anything For Love in Books
Apr 10, 2019
Relatable characters (1 more)
Full of mystery and action
Contains spoilers, click to show
I would first like to say I don't normally like these short little romance novels, but I really enjoyed this one. I often find the short romance novels like this are rushed or leaves something to be desired at the end. In Anything for Love, I found that the story was relatable and quite enjoyable to read. It left you smiling at the end and it felt complete. I don't have many complaints, just a few grammatical errors that are easily overlooked, as there might have been at most five in total. It was the characters that made the story for me, especially Winter.
Winter's past was rough, especially where her ex, Danny, was concerned. With the betrayal and manipulative nature he had, I wouldn't have blamed Winter for closing herself off to the world of dating. Even though you don't get the full extent of what he did to her, besides being a jerk, until she tells Wyatt why she is so closed off to him, you can't help but understand what she is going through. Most women swear off dating when they break up with a particular nasty relationship. Though, it rarely sticks, its not hard to see Winter is a vary realistic character, that many women can relate to. It was very nice to see that she had made up her mind and did everything in her power to stay away from Wyatt, knowing she wasn't ready for a relationship or to trust another man. It wasn't just her heart and how I could relate to her in the romance department that got me, it was her strength and determination to protect the children she helped. Her concern and kindness for the kids who are in group homes waiting to be adopted, melted my heart. It was very clear that those kids meant the world to her, even more than her own life. Not many people would stand up to a gang and even deny them a new recruit, putting their life at risk, to protect a child that wasn't theirs and yet she did. She not only kept the kid, Carlos, safe from the gang life, but she made sure she got him into an art class, so that he would be able to further his education on that which he loves. It made it easy to see how someone could fall in love with her.
While Winter is a little closed off to dating and more focused on the kids that attend her center, Wyatt is more determined to win her over while being the cop he is. At first you want to hate him. He comes off arrogant and career oriented, as well as a horn dog. It is clear he wants to be with her sexually and his determination makes you slightly wonder if he would do anything unsavory to achieve this. However, that opinion dissolves quickly after Winter allows him to take her out to hang out a bit during a Halloween party her co-worker and bestfriend throws. Wyatt shows genuine interest in Winter and even appears to be a really good guy, but what amazed me was that fact he never did anything to push her into kissing him, having sex or anything. He was patient, kind and understanding, even before Winter finally told him what Danny had done to her in her past. Though he seemed demanding and a bit of someone who would be controlling, it was nice to see the softer side of him too. To be able to find someone who won't take no as an answer, but also be patient and considerate of another's feelings is a rare trait to have. Normally, you don't see both those traits in a single person, but Wyatt has them and it makes for interesting guy. Your heart automatically goes out to him as you watch him be patient with Winter. At points, I found myself yelling at Winter because of how broken she was. I understand where she was coming from, having been in horrid relationships myself, but I would like to think if I was her, I would have been a bit more willing to trust him sooner than she did. Wyatt is a definite dream hunk and will be your book boyfriend if you only let him love you.
I have say that this book kept me thirsty for more, especially since so much was left out to keep it a bit suspenseful. I loved how the gang, Street Kings, was left alone after Winter confronts them to leave Carlos alone, that you nearly forget about them being in the picture. It made for a nice little dramatic event when they pop back up. Or when you learn more about Wyatt that is kept being hinted at throughout the story. I found this all to make quite a compelling story. It had the right amount of suspense, mystery and action to make this romance novel that perfect read in my opinion. I would recommend it to all my romance readers. I would rate this book 4 stars out of 5 stars simply because of the few grammar errors I had found while reading, Though they didn't take away from enjoying the book, I still wish they hadn't been present. It can ruin any grammar freak's day.
Anything for Love is free for the Kindle, and that's without Kinde Unlimited. It is also the first book in the series "The Hunter Brothers." I do hope you go to check it out and grab your copy from Amazon while it is free to grab. Happy Reading!
Winter's past was rough, especially where her ex, Danny, was concerned. With the betrayal and manipulative nature he had, I wouldn't have blamed Winter for closing herself off to the world of dating. Even though you don't get the full extent of what he did to her, besides being a jerk, until she tells Wyatt why she is so closed off to him, you can't help but understand what she is going through. Most women swear off dating when they break up with a particular nasty relationship. Though, it rarely sticks, its not hard to see Winter is a vary realistic character, that many women can relate to. It was very nice to see that she had made up her mind and did everything in her power to stay away from Wyatt, knowing she wasn't ready for a relationship or to trust another man. It wasn't just her heart and how I could relate to her in the romance department that got me, it was her strength and determination to protect the children she helped. Her concern and kindness for the kids who are in group homes waiting to be adopted, melted my heart. It was very clear that those kids meant the world to her, even more than her own life. Not many people would stand up to a gang and even deny them a new recruit, putting their life at risk, to protect a child that wasn't theirs and yet she did. She not only kept the kid, Carlos, safe from the gang life, but she made sure she got him into an art class, so that he would be able to further his education on that which he loves. It made it easy to see how someone could fall in love with her.
While Winter is a little closed off to dating and more focused on the kids that attend her center, Wyatt is more determined to win her over while being the cop he is. At first you want to hate him. He comes off arrogant and career oriented, as well as a horn dog. It is clear he wants to be with her sexually and his determination makes you slightly wonder if he would do anything unsavory to achieve this. However, that opinion dissolves quickly after Winter allows him to take her out to hang out a bit during a Halloween party her co-worker and bestfriend throws. Wyatt shows genuine interest in Winter and even appears to be a really good guy, but what amazed me was that fact he never did anything to push her into kissing him, having sex or anything. He was patient, kind and understanding, even before Winter finally told him what Danny had done to her in her past. Though he seemed demanding and a bit of someone who would be controlling, it was nice to see the softer side of him too. To be able to find someone who won't take no as an answer, but also be patient and considerate of another's feelings is a rare trait to have. Normally, you don't see both those traits in a single person, but Wyatt has them and it makes for interesting guy. Your heart automatically goes out to him as you watch him be patient with Winter. At points, I found myself yelling at Winter because of how broken she was. I understand where she was coming from, having been in horrid relationships myself, but I would like to think if I was her, I would have been a bit more willing to trust him sooner than she did. Wyatt is a definite dream hunk and will be your book boyfriend if you only let him love you.
I have say that this book kept me thirsty for more, especially since so much was left out to keep it a bit suspenseful. I loved how the gang, Street Kings, was left alone after Winter confronts them to leave Carlos alone, that you nearly forget about them being in the picture. It made for a nice little dramatic event when they pop back up. Or when you learn more about Wyatt that is kept being hinted at throughout the story. I found this all to make quite a compelling story. It had the right amount of suspense, mystery and action to make this romance novel that perfect read in my opinion. I would recommend it to all my romance readers. I would rate this book 4 stars out of 5 stars simply because of the few grammar errors I had found while reading, Though they didn't take away from enjoying the book, I still wish they hadn't been present. It can ruin any grammar freak's day.
Anything for Love is free for the Kindle, and that's without Kinde Unlimited. It is also the first book in the series "The Hunter Brothers." I do hope you go to check it out and grab your copy from Amazon while it is free to grab. Happy Reading!
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated The Huntsman: Winter's War (2016) in Movies
Aug 6, 2019
Mirror, mirror on the wall who is the fairest of them all?”
Once again the story that has captivated millions throughout the world returns to the big screen with a prequel and sequel to Snow White and the Huntsman. At the end of the first film, the evil mirror-obsessed queen Ravenna (Charlize Theron) is defeated by Snow White (Kirsten Stewart) and Eric the Huntsman (Chris Hemsworth). The second film begins with the revelation that Ravenna has a sister named Freya (Emily Blunt), who was completely normal until she made the mistake of falling in love and getting pregnant, which endangered the sinister plans of Ravenna. Under unknown circumstances Freya loses the love of her life and her baby, causing so much pain and suffering , she becomes the sad and lonely Snow Queen , leaving her sister to conquer kingdoms on her own .
The Huntsman is related to Ravenna, not only because of Snow White, but because he and his wife Sara (Jessica Chastain) were raised and trained in the kingdom ruled by Snow Queen Freya who, as a survivor of unthinkable heartbreak, has one big rule all her “children” must obey: Do not love. Ever.
Long story short, Freya’s reign threatens Snow White’s kingdom and it’s up to Eric, Sara, and their companions to stop her. And although her role is smaller here than in the original film, Queen Ravenna returns to both aid and manipulate her youngster sister Freya.
There might not be Seven Dwarves this time around, but the four this sequel does include are hilarious and offer some of the cleverest comebacks I have heard in a long time. Nick Frost’s Nion is the only dwarf from the original to return, and he’s joined by his brother Gryff (Rob Brydon) and two females, Mrs. Bromwyn (Sheridan Smith) and Doreena (Alexandra Roache).
I can say that I really liked this film, and as a Charlize Theron fan I most enjoy her work especially as an evil, selfish witch obsessed with eternal beauty. And of course having Chris Hemsworth in the screen is always a delight for our eyes. The special effects are not distracting at all; they’re actually the complete opposite. The quality is outstanding which makes it easier to be transported to a magical world filled with fairies and enchantments.
Although I have to say it is not as family-friendly as the fairy tale inspired film, it is definitely funny, including a lot of action and fight scenes with a story line that entertains the audience.
Once again the story that has captivated millions throughout the world returns to the big screen with a prequel and sequel to Snow White and the Huntsman. At the end of the first film, the evil mirror-obsessed queen Ravenna (Charlize Theron) is defeated by Snow White (Kirsten Stewart) and Eric the Huntsman (Chris Hemsworth). The second film begins with the revelation that Ravenna has a sister named Freya (Emily Blunt), who was completely normal until she made the mistake of falling in love and getting pregnant, which endangered the sinister plans of Ravenna. Under unknown circumstances Freya loses the love of her life and her baby, causing so much pain and suffering , she becomes the sad and lonely Snow Queen , leaving her sister to conquer kingdoms on her own .
The Huntsman is related to Ravenna, not only because of Snow White, but because he and his wife Sara (Jessica Chastain) were raised and trained in the kingdom ruled by Snow Queen Freya who, as a survivor of unthinkable heartbreak, has one big rule all her “children” must obey: Do not love. Ever.
Long story short, Freya’s reign threatens Snow White’s kingdom and it’s up to Eric, Sara, and their companions to stop her. And although her role is smaller here than in the original film, Queen Ravenna returns to both aid and manipulate her youngster sister Freya.
There might not be Seven Dwarves this time around, but the four this sequel does include are hilarious and offer some of the cleverest comebacks I have heard in a long time. Nick Frost’s Nion is the only dwarf from the original to return, and he’s joined by his brother Gryff (Rob Brydon) and two females, Mrs. Bromwyn (Sheridan Smith) and Doreena (Alexandra Roache).
I can say that I really liked this film, and as a Charlize Theron fan I most enjoy her work especially as an evil, selfish witch obsessed with eternal beauty. And of course having Chris Hemsworth in the screen is always a delight for our eyes. The special effects are not distracting at all; they’re actually the complete opposite. The quality is outstanding which makes it easier to be transported to a magical world filled with fairies and enchantments.
Although I have to say it is not as family-friendly as the fairy tale inspired film, it is definitely funny, including a lot of action and fight scenes with a story line that entertains the audience.
Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated Aquaman (2018) in Movies
Sep 25, 2019
Straight out of the blocks I want to say that there's excellent fluffy in the shape of a golden retriever puppy, and we also get some brilliant chompers in the form of an army of sharks... and you know how I feel about sharks.
The other thing I want to say, and I'm sorry in advance for the fact that it might annoy you if you haven't been to see it yet, but every wistful shot of the sky over the ocean seems to look like the Free Willy poster shot. Not even kidding. It was the first thing I thought when I saw it. Right there >>> they might have just photoshopped it in, I really don't know.
But I'm getting away from the reason I'm doing this... Aquaman.
I'm please to say that (as you can see from my rating) I thoroughly enjoyed this film. DC have really managed to pull it back. I was a firm believer that it was DC TV and Marvel films that were the winners, when they went off and tried the other side it wasn't such a success for either of them. DC seem to have found the magic formula though and hot on the trail of Wonder Woman and Justice League this feels like a real winner.
Yes I enjoyed Justice League, we're not going to argue about it now!
The attention to detail in the effects is impressive. You just have to look at all the minute details in the reflections on the glass to see that. We're also treated to a lot of ocean scenery that I'm sure you could comb over for hours and still not spot everything hidden in there.
There are moments where the effects become a little iffy though. The tremendous scene where Aquaman and Mera are being chased over roof tops for example. We get wide shots that leave little room to scrimp on the effort and they look visually stunning. At the same time though one of the bad guys is chasing Mera by running through the buildings below her and the graphics on him just don't hold the same impact at all.
Aquaman's underwater scenes actually didn't look a lot different than any normal film apart from the fact that everyone tends to be hovering in mid air/water with ballet pose toes. But just for a minute let us talk about the hair and the capes. Both floaty things in water. Both awful to look at on screen. It's bizarrely unnatural and really sticks out like a sore thumb from the first time you see it. At least it's not something that all the characters had, some of them had their hair tied back, and then they've got some kind of underwater hair gel (they could market that really well on land), both of those options gave scenes a little less distraction.
The first action sequence we get with Aquaman in the sub has some amazing camera work in it. We turn and flip with the characters following the motion of the body as it's being tossed around by our hero. It makes for an exciting scene, it's honestly not something I remember seeing in other films. This sequence also had a rather impressive use of a doorway as a lethal weapon.
While Aquaman is definitely a light-hearted superhero movie it does have it's deep moments. (And I'm not just talking about the ocean... no? Fine! No ridiculous jokes.) Manta and his father have a particularly moving moment that I wasn't expecting at all, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Michael Beach work so well together in that scene that it was a real shame it was over so quickly. Jason Momoa also gets some great speeches throughout the film, but in his case they are taken away from him at the last moment. I get it, he's an edgy no nonsense kind of a character that says it like it is. But let him just have one speech where he doesn't ruin it at the end by calling someone a dick.
Now I'll admit that it didn't hurt that this movie had some very attractive people in it that were wet a lot of the time... you know you were thinking it too! I do however want to call them out on their Bond-esque emerging from the water scene... it didn't work, find your own niche.
I'm honestly amazed at how many notes I wrote, I've got so many thing I want to talk about but honestly we'd be here all day so I'm just going to highlight the rest for your free interpretation: superhero landings, power slides, "little baby oceans", drumming octopus, killer narwhals?, bar montage, Ant-Man And The Wasp rip off credits, rip off Bifrost, stop pollution the oceans it's pissing off the Atlantians. Oh, and Julie Andrews was in it!
What you should do
This is a very good superhero movie. There's love, there's action, there's friendship, and more importantly they have a cute dog. You should definitely see it.
Movie thing you wish you could take home
I do love the water, so some Atlantian superpowers wouldn't go amiss. There's no way I currently look that graceful in the water.
The other thing I want to say, and I'm sorry in advance for the fact that it might annoy you if you haven't been to see it yet, but every wistful shot of the sky over the ocean seems to look like the Free Willy poster shot. Not even kidding. It was the first thing I thought when I saw it. Right there >>> they might have just photoshopped it in, I really don't know.
But I'm getting away from the reason I'm doing this... Aquaman.
I'm please to say that (as you can see from my rating) I thoroughly enjoyed this film. DC have really managed to pull it back. I was a firm believer that it was DC TV and Marvel films that were the winners, when they went off and tried the other side it wasn't such a success for either of them. DC seem to have found the magic formula though and hot on the trail of Wonder Woman and Justice League this feels like a real winner.
Yes I enjoyed Justice League, we're not going to argue about it now!
The attention to detail in the effects is impressive. You just have to look at all the minute details in the reflections on the glass to see that. We're also treated to a lot of ocean scenery that I'm sure you could comb over for hours and still not spot everything hidden in there.
There are moments where the effects become a little iffy though. The tremendous scene where Aquaman and Mera are being chased over roof tops for example. We get wide shots that leave little room to scrimp on the effort and they look visually stunning. At the same time though one of the bad guys is chasing Mera by running through the buildings below her and the graphics on him just don't hold the same impact at all.
Aquaman's underwater scenes actually didn't look a lot different than any normal film apart from the fact that everyone tends to be hovering in mid air/water with ballet pose toes. But just for a minute let us talk about the hair and the capes. Both floaty things in water. Both awful to look at on screen. It's bizarrely unnatural and really sticks out like a sore thumb from the first time you see it. At least it's not something that all the characters had, some of them had their hair tied back, and then they've got some kind of underwater hair gel (they could market that really well on land), both of those options gave scenes a little less distraction.
The first action sequence we get with Aquaman in the sub has some amazing camera work in it. We turn and flip with the characters following the motion of the body as it's being tossed around by our hero. It makes for an exciting scene, it's honestly not something I remember seeing in other films. This sequence also had a rather impressive use of a doorway as a lethal weapon.
While Aquaman is definitely a light-hearted superhero movie it does have it's deep moments. (And I'm not just talking about the ocean... no? Fine! No ridiculous jokes.) Manta and his father have a particularly moving moment that I wasn't expecting at all, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and Michael Beach work so well together in that scene that it was a real shame it was over so quickly. Jason Momoa also gets some great speeches throughout the film, but in his case they are taken away from him at the last moment. I get it, he's an edgy no nonsense kind of a character that says it like it is. But let him just have one speech where he doesn't ruin it at the end by calling someone a dick.
Now I'll admit that it didn't hurt that this movie had some very attractive people in it that were wet a lot of the time... you know you were thinking it too! I do however want to call them out on their Bond-esque emerging from the water scene... it didn't work, find your own niche.
I'm honestly amazed at how many notes I wrote, I've got so many thing I want to talk about but honestly we'd be here all day so I'm just going to highlight the rest for your free interpretation: superhero landings, power slides, "little baby oceans", drumming octopus, killer narwhals?, bar montage, Ant-Man And The Wasp rip off credits, rip off Bifrost, stop pollution the oceans it's pissing off the Atlantians. Oh, and Julie Andrews was in it!
What you should do
This is a very good superhero movie. There's love, there's action, there's friendship, and more importantly they have a cute dog. You should definitely see it.
Movie thing you wish you could take home
I do love the water, so some Atlantian superpowers wouldn't go amiss. There's no way I currently look that graceful in the water.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Jumanji: The Next Level (2019) in Movies
Dec 15, 2019
I said this when I reviewed Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, but Jumanji was one of my favorite movies going up. I was extremely reluctant to see the 2017 film. However, I walked out of the theater happy as can be. The movie wasn’t perfect, but it was charming and entertaining, and I felt it was a good modernization of the Jumanji experience.
Then they announced the sequel, and all that fear and panic (not much, but you know… melodrama) kicked back in. Given the state of some sequels these days, I couldn’t imagine how they would be able to do this, and do this well. But I had hopes considering how good the previous entry in the franchise was. Could it be just as good?
The Jumanji: The Next Level releases 2 years after Welcome to the Jungle, and just as much time has passed for our four heroes: Spencer (Alex Wolff), Fridge (Ser’Darius Blain), Bethany (Madison Iseman), and Martha (Morgan Turner). We see the four friends leading their different lives and getting excited to reunite over the holidays.
Everyone, except for Spencer that is. Spencer missed the feeling he had as Doctor Smolder Bravestone (Dwayne Johnson) in Jumanji, so he decides to try and fix the game and re-enter to recapture that feeling. The game was smashed to pieces in the last movie, but Spencer retrieved it and it’s been sitting his basement ever since.
The next day, when the four adventurers are supposed to be meeting for brunch, the remaining three get worried when Spencer doesn’t show. So they head over to Spencer’s place to find Spencer’s Grandfather, Eddie (Danny Devito), and an old friend, Milo (Danny Glover), who also don’t know where he is. Soon they discover the broken remnants of the game and that they’ve been fixed (sorta) and eventually they realize that Spencer has gone into the game again.
They decide to head back in, but somethings a little different this time around, as both Eddie and Milo get pulled into the game as well. All our game characters return: Bravestone, Professor Sheldon “Shelly” Oberon (Jack Black), Franklin “Mouse” Finbar (Kevin Hart), and Ruby Roundhouse (Karen Gillan). But will our young adventurers be controlling the same characters, and what of Eddie and Milo? I can’t say without spoiling so much more.
Now that we have the description out of the way, I will say that I loved this film. Not quite as much as the previous entry, though. I didn’t have high hopes for The Next Level as the trailers and commercials just seemed to be overselling certain aspects of the film, but the film was great.
A good follow up story, excellent acting from our four mains, and enough changeup to allow it to not be essentially the same movie as the first. The acting is great. The plot, while a little predictable, was good as well. The music and score really set the tone and pace of the new Jumanji movies, and in such a good way.
One of the only real criticism I had was that Johnson became a little annoying with his characterization for most of the movie in this film, but that could be intended. A good pallet cleanser, though, was Kevin Hart as he literally played the polar opposite and it was a good balance. The other issue I had was that the finale of the third act seemed a little cheated. It was so rushed, relied heavily on the video game trope and never explained why what happened did happen.
Overall, though, this film is a worthy successor to Welcome to the Jungle and you should definitely check it out. Good for the family, just like the first. I personally cannot wait to see what happens in the next film. There is an obvious set up for third in the reboot, or it could be just left as is. Such is the way of Jumanji.
4 out of 5 stars.
Then they announced the sequel, and all that fear and panic (not much, but you know… melodrama) kicked back in. Given the state of some sequels these days, I couldn’t imagine how they would be able to do this, and do this well. But I had hopes considering how good the previous entry in the franchise was. Could it be just as good?
The Jumanji: The Next Level releases 2 years after Welcome to the Jungle, and just as much time has passed for our four heroes: Spencer (Alex Wolff), Fridge (Ser’Darius Blain), Bethany (Madison Iseman), and Martha (Morgan Turner). We see the four friends leading their different lives and getting excited to reunite over the holidays.
Everyone, except for Spencer that is. Spencer missed the feeling he had as Doctor Smolder Bravestone (Dwayne Johnson) in Jumanji, so he decides to try and fix the game and re-enter to recapture that feeling. The game was smashed to pieces in the last movie, but Spencer retrieved it and it’s been sitting his basement ever since.
The next day, when the four adventurers are supposed to be meeting for brunch, the remaining three get worried when Spencer doesn’t show. So they head over to Spencer’s place to find Spencer’s Grandfather, Eddie (Danny Devito), and an old friend, Milo (Danny Glover), who also don’t know where he is. Soon they discover the broken remnants of the game and that they’ve been fixed (sorta) and eventually they realize that Spencer has gone into the game again.
They decide to head back in, but somethings a little different this time around, as both Eddie and Milo get pulled into the game as well. All our game characters return: Bravestone, Professor Sheldon “Shelly” Oberon (Jack Black), Franklin “Mouse” Finbar (Kevin Hart), and Ruby Roundhouse (Karen Gillan). But will our young adventurers be controlling the same characters, and what of Eddie and Milo? I can’t say without spoiling so much more.
Now that we have the description out of the way, I will say that I loved this film. Not quite as much as the previous entry, though. I didn’t have high hopes for The Next Level as the trailers and commercials just seemed to be overselling certain aspects of the film, but the film was great.
A good follow up story, excellent acting from our four mains, and enough changeup to allow it to not be essentially the same movie as the first. The acting is great. The plot, while a little predictable, was good as well. The music and score really set the tone and pace of the new Jumanji movies, and in such a good way.
One of the only real criticism I had was that Johnson became a little annoying with his characterization for most of the movie in this film, but that could be intended. A good pallet cleanser, though, was Kevin Hart as he literally played the polar opposite and it was a good balance. The other issue I had was that the finale of the third act seemed a little cheated. It was so rushed, relied heavily on the video game trope and never explained why what happened did happen.
Overall, though, this film is a worthy successor to Welcome to the Jungle and you should definitely check it out. Good for the family, just like the first. I personally cannot wait to see what happens in the next film. There is an obvious set up for third in the reboot, or it could be just left as is. Such is the way of Jumanji.
4 out of 5 stars.
Lindsay (1807 KP) rated Westobou Gold in Books
Sep 7, 2017
It got Adventures (2 more)
It a Thriller as well
It a mystery and murder as well
Are you looking for an adventurous, thriller fun mystery book?
Are you looking for an adventurous, thriller fun mystery book? Well, Westobou Gold has just about all of it and more. I was brought into the book though an Indian tribe leader. There more to this story and to all the murders. What are Pervis and his crew up to other than underage porn?
The story is about a man named Craige and his love. Will Craige solve the mysteries of the murders that he is brought in by a former member named Bailey? What could Bailey want or his bosses?
We see what Pervis and his crew and Mort Raymond deal with. Pervis is part of the action mostly. If you want to know who comes out a winner, then you need to read the book. I do suggest that children do not read this book without their parent's consent. There are murders involved and some sex tape scenes. I would say this is a book for children ages 15 and up. This is my opinion.
There is crime throughout the book. What can an Indian Queen be an at of with all this and the murders? Hawk MacKinney gives you an exciting and thriller book. You will want to follow Craige and see if he makes it out or who the top dog. Pervis seem to want Craige Instagram out of the picture. What could they be trying to hide?
The story is about a man named Craige and his love. Will Craige solve the mysteries of the murders that he is brought in by a former member named Bailey? What could Bailey want or his bosses?
We see what Pervis and his crew and Mort Raymond deal with. Pervis is part of the action mostly. If you want to know who comes out a winner, then you need to read the book. I do suggest that children do not read this book without their parent's consent. There are murders involved and some sex tape scenes. I would say this is a book for children ages 15 and up. This is my opinion.
There is crime throughout the book. What can an Indian Queen be an at of with all this and the murders? Hawk MacKinney gives you an exciting and thriller book. You will want to follow Craige and see if he makes it out or who the top dog. Pervis seem to want Craige Instagram out of the picture. What could they be trying to hide?
Christine A. (965 KP) rated Losing Normal in Books
Mar 15, 2019
I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book so I could give an honest review.
Losing Normal by Francis Moss is relatively short, less than 300 pages, but do not let the length fool you into thinking it does not have a lot to say. There is a lot of action in this short book.
Alex, a highly-functioning autistic boy, likes things to stay the same. He knows how many steps it is from school to home and, to him, that is normal. He knows all the answers in math. That is normal. The strange giant television screens that are being put up all over are making him forget and that is not normal. Only the "defective" kids, those that are immune to the televisions, like Alex can save the world from becoming television watching zombies. What ensues is an interesting novel that shows how quickly technology could take over.
Losing Normal is not a post-apocalyptic novel. It shows the collapse of society by our rapidly advancing technology getting out of hand and beginning to think for itself.
This novel would be appropriate for those as young as middle school to read but it is an interesting story adults would enjoy too. I found it to be a quick, easy, enjoyable, and thought provoking read.
Review published on Philomathinphila.com, Smashbomb, Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble on 3/14/19.
Losing Normal by Francis Moss is relatively short, less than 300 pages, but do not let the length fool you into thinking it does not have a lot to say. There is a lot of action in this short book.
Alex, a highly-functioning autistic boy, likes things to stay the same. He knows how many steps it is from school to home and, to him, that is normal. He knows all the answers in math. That is normal. The strange giant television screens that are being put up all over are making him forget and that is not normal. Only the "defective" kids, those that are immune to the televisions, like Alex can save the world from becoming television watching zombies. What ensues is an interesting novel that shows how quickly technology could take over.
Losing Normal is not a post-apocalyptic novel. It shows the collapse of society by our rapidly advancing technology getting out of hand and beginning to think for itself.
This novel would be appropriate for those as young as middle school to read but it is an interesting story adults would enjoy too. I found it to be a quick, easy, enjoyable, and thought provoking read.
Review published on Philomathinphila.com, Smashbomb, Goodreads, Facebook, Twitter, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble on 3/14/19.
Lou Grande (148 KP) rated The Perfect Whore in Books
Jun 12, 2018
Fanfiction is usually free. You can find better stuff there
Once upon a time, I read Star Wars slash fanfiction. That was a lot better than this. I don't quite know what the author was going for here, as the story leans too far into plot and exposition to be a "romance" novel (not a bad thing, if the plot wasn't just a vehicle for the romance), and the erotica was less than erotic. I've read female authors who could write believable gay characters, but this isn't one of them. These characters interact more like men in Japanese yaoi, which is to say, you could sub one of the men with a woman and have the same story. I would be more generous (considering one character is a shapeshifting alien with no true gender) but her author's bio specifically states she writes gay erotica. So let's be clear: this is gay erotica for women. So if you're a lady who fetishizes gay men, this is in your wheelhouse. If you're a gay man, probably avoid this one, unless you really have a thing for sci-fi and lizardmen.
Circling back around, of course the title is attention grabbing. And the story is short enough to be fun. Both characters are obnoxious, but not so much that you can't sit two or three hours with them. The story employs standard tropes, including using rape as a dramatic crutch. If that's your thing, you'll probably enjoy this and also what's wrong with you?
Circling back around, of course the title is attention grabbing. And the story is short enough to be fun. Both characters are obnoxious, but not so much that you can't sit two or three hours with them. The story employs standard tropes, including using rape as a dramatic crutch. If that's your thing, you'll probably enjoy this and also what's wrong with you?
Eddie Braben's Morecambe and Wise Book
Eddie Braben, Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise
Book
With a brand new introduction by Eddie Braben and including never-before-seen material. Morecambe...