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Awix (3310 KP) rated Iron Man 3 (2013) in Movies
Mar 22, 2019 (Updated Sep 28, 2020)
Somewhat atypical Marvel movie solves the problem of how to keep things fresh and interesting by recruiting Shane Black as director, who brings his usual blend of hardboiled thriller and screwball comedy to the genre. When a series of terror attacks by the mysterious Mandarin strikes close to home, Tony Stark vows to take him on - but not all is as it seems...
Hardly an essential movie in terms of the mighty Marvel meta-plot, but still a hugely clever, fun, well-constructed movie. Unfairly gets a raw deal from some comic fans for its radical interpretation of a classic Iron Man villain, but the sparklingly witty script and great performances from the principal cast more than make up for it. Black handles the big-scale action sequences as adroitly as the comic scenes. One of the more underrated movies in the MCU.
Hardly an essential movie in terms of the mighty Marvel meta-plot, but still a hugely clever, fun, well-constructed movie. Unfairly gets a raw deal from some comic fans for its radical interpretation of a classic Iron Man villain, but the sparklingly witty script and great performances from the principal cast more than make up for it. Black handles the big-scale action sequences as adroitly as the comic scenes. One of the more underrated movies in the MCU.
Awix (3310 KP) rated The Sisters Brothers (2018) in Movies
Apr 7, 2019 (Updated Apr 7, 2019)
Unorthodox black comedy western. Quarrelsome but proficient hired killers the Sisters brothers (Reilly and Phoenix) are sent to assist in the capture of a mild-mannered chemist with valuable knowledge (Ahmed), but everyone involved finds their priorities starting to shift...
Another one of them there revisionist westerns, probably, which basically means that no-one wears a white hat and everyone probably smells quite bad. This benefits a lot from some really good performances and a good script, for the first three quarters at least. The end is the kind of thing that proper critics tend to enjoy but audiences don't, which may be why this has not done well at the box office. Not sure about the start of the journey or the destination, but there is a lot of fun to be had along the way.
Another one of them there revisionist westerns, probably, which basically means that no-one wears a white hat and everyone probably smells quite bad. This benefits a lot from some really good performances and a good script, for the first three quarters at least. The end is the kind of thing that proper critics tend to enjoy but audiences don't, which may be why this has not done well at the box office. Not sure about the start of the journey or the destination, but there is a lot of fun to be had along the way.
Miguel Covarrubias (143 KP) rated Maniac in TV
Apr 23, 2019
The Techno-Thriller-Comedy that Nobody knew we needed
We unexpectedly loved maniac. It had a lot to say about fantasy vs. reality. The beautiful modern take (extremely loosely) on Don Quixote had a lot to say to the current era that we find ourselves in. A near future almost hopeless setting shines a lot on how we currently attempt to cope with our reality by escaping into our virtual realities. It's especially difficult on millennials who are trying to overcome the arrested development that we've been placed in. We had too much of a good thing, technology, and haven't quite figured out how to balance virtual with analog reality. 9/10 well worth your time!
KittyMiku (138 KP) rated Fallen Academy: Year One: Volume 1 in Books
May 13, 2019
Great story (1 more)
Characters with different personalities
I picked this book up due to some friends who said it was good. I didn't think much about it until the story sucked me in. I really enjoyed the take the author had on the Heaven versus Hell aspect and how it affects humanity. This book had me wanting to finish it in one sitting. I enjoyed how Brielle and Lincoln seemed to be at each other's throat constantly. Brielle and Shea were my favorite character duos. I found it inspiring on how much Brielle was willing to risk, not just to ensure her freedom but to protect those she cared about. This book held suspense, romance, comedy and lots of action. I found it hard to put down and even more upsetting when my Kindle died. I definitely recommend it to everyone.
Dean (6927 KP) rated Attack the Block (2011) in Movies
Feb 11, 2018
Original
A great little low budget, English comedy horror! This has a good B movie feel to it, featuring a young, largely unknown cast it has a good balance of laughs at the silliness of it all, followed by moments of danger. I also like these type of films when they are grounded in a real setting, this being an every day council estate in South London. Also unexpected for this type of film is how well shot it is, good use of light and cinematography is plain to see in most scenes. The creature design while simple is pretty good. The only downer for me was some of the over use, of so much slang, but again there are teenagers who do talk like that! An enjoyable small budget film that will put a big smile on your face!
Awix (3310 KP) rated The Viking Queen (1967) in Movies
Mar 1, 2018 (Updated Mar 2, 2018)
Wildly historically inaccurate, wholly absurd Hammer exploitation movie based on the events of the Iceni revolt led by Boudicca in 1st-century Britain. Roman governor (American) falls unconvincingly for Briton queen (Finnish); their imminent marriage promises to be bad for the business of the local merchants and their corrupt ally, a Roman general (Scottish), so a conflict is provoked, leading to rebellion...
Problems are mostly with the script, which appears to be only vaguely familiar with the concept of historical research, although a lot of the acting and staging is also pretty poor. Some usually reliable actors (Andrew Keir, Patrick Troughton) do the best they can with the material they're given. Probably best viewed as a high-camp piece of unintentional comedy. The widely-circulated story that one of the Roman actors can be seen wearing a wristwatch appears to be apocryphal.
Problems are mostly with the script, which appears to be only vaguely familiar with the concept of historical research, although a lot of the acting and staging is also pretty poor. Some usually reliable actors (Andrew Keir, Patrick Troughton) do the best they can with the material they're given. Probably best viewed as a high-camp piece of unintentional comedy. The widely-circulated story that one of the Roman actors can be seen wearing a wristwatch appears to be apocryphal.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Game Night (2018) in Movies
Mar 5, 2018 (Updated Mar 22, 2019)
Knowingly absurd black comedy thriller is powered along by engaging performances and some good gags. A group of affluent friends think they're participating in a kind of murder mystery role-playing game; in fact the situation is in deadly earnest.
The script goes into overdrive to sustain this fairly preposterous premise for 100 minutes - it just about manages it but the first half inevitably feels a bit less forced than the conclusion. Still very funny indeed in places; there's a bit of tonal uncertainty - the thriller element is quite dark, with some graphic violence - but not enough to make the film uncomfortable to watch. Bateman and McAdams are particularly good, but lots of good turns here, both comic and straight. I laughed a lot, which is pretty unusual when it comes to me and modern comedies.
The script goes into overdrive to sustain this fairly preposterous premise for 100 minutes - it just about manages it but the first half inevitably feels a bit less forced than the conclusion. Still very funny indeed in places; there's a bit of tonal uncertainty - the thriller element is quite dark, with some graphic violence - but not enough to make the film uncomfortable to watch. Bateman and McAdams are particularly good, but lots of good turns here, both comic and straight. I laughed a lot, which is pretty unusual when it comes to me and modern comedies.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Deadpool (2016) in Movies
Feb 19, 2018
Not the first R-rated superhero movie, nor the first superhero comedy film, nor even the first movie to feature Ryan Reynolds as Wade Wilson, but it does a good job of appearing to do something new and different, and has lots of good jokes. Garrulous mercenary volunteers for special procedure in attempt to fend off terminal illness; basically ends up with cancer as a super-power.
The plot is really very secondary to the style of the film, anyway, which is all about being very irreverent and transgressive towards the perceived conventions of the superhero movie; there's a bit of a straw man argument being made here, but the action is well staged and it is, as mentioned, very funny. Not the future of the genre, no matter what people may say, but a well-crafted piece of entertainment nevertheless.
The plot is really very secondary to the style of the film, anyway, which is all about being very irreverent and transgressive towards the perceived conventions of the superhero movie; there's a bit of a straw man argument being made here, but the action is well staged and it is, as mentioned, very funny. Not the future of the genre, no matter what people may say, but a well-crafted piece of entertainment nevertheless.
Cyn Armistead (14 KP) rated The Nightmare Stacks: A Laundry Files Novel in Books
Feb 23, 2018
Another fun entry in the Laundry Files series, this one is narrated by Dr. Schwartz, from the previous novel. Poor Alex is trying to come to grips with his sudden career change and living life as a PHANG (vampire, to the rest of us). He has also fallen into social interactions with an actual female person, which is vastly unusual in his life. In fact, having a social life is rather foreign.
There are a fair number of cringe-worthy scenes, if you (like me) are embarrassed when anyone else is. Of course, this is a comedy/horror/science fiction/fantasy series, so there are the requisite horrid things in the plot. If you've gotten this far in the series, I shouldn't need to warn you about that. I really wouldn't choose this volume as an entry point if I were you.
There are a fair number of cringe-worthy scenes, if you (like me) are embarrassed when anyone else is. Of course, this is a comedy/horror/science fiction/fantasy series, so there are the requisite horrid things in the plot. If you've gotten this far in the series, I shouldn't need to warn you about that. I really wouldn't choose this volume as an entry point if I were you.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Sleeper (1973) in Movies
Mar 11, 2018 (Updated Mar 11, 2018)
One of the best of Woody Allen's early pure comedies. Allen (basically playing the same character as always) wakes up in 2173 and is recruited by rebels seeking to bring down an oppressive totalitarian regime.
Simply a very funny film; a much more visual comedy than you would expect from Allen - I have seen suggestions that the whole thing is intended as a homage to Benny Hill - but there are the usual one-liners (also a few slightly dodgy stereotype-based jokes). Very much a spoof of late 60s/early 70s SF movies like THX-1138 and 2001; the SF content is surprisingly solid courtesy of uncredited script consultancy from Isaac Asimov (this may well be the first SF movie to deal with the concept of cloning). Worth watching just for the sequence with the banana and the chicken.
Simply a very funny film; a much more visual comedy than you would expect from Allen - I have seen suggestions that the whole thing is intended as a homage to Benny Hill - but there are the usual one-liners (also a few slightly dodgy stereotype-based jokes). Very much a spoof of late 60s/early 70s SF movies like THX-1138 and 2001; the SF content is surprisingly solid courtesy of uncredited script consultancy from Isaac Asimov (this may well be the first SF movie to deal with the concept of cloning). Worth watching just for the sequence with the banana and the chicken.