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BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated Game Night (2018) in Movies
Feb 28, 2018
Funny film with Intelligent humor
Heading into GAME NIGHT, I was trying to remember the last time I saw a good, funny film that did not rely on Gross-Out Humor or Sex & Fart jokes to mine it's laughs.
No need to try to remember now, for GAME NIGHT is a very funny, mostly clean, good old-fashioned comedy where the comedy comes out of how the characters react and interact with each other as an increasingly complex and out-of-control series of events batter them from every possible angle.
Co-Directed by John Francis Daley & Jonathan Goldstein (the duo previously co-Directed the remake of VACATION in 2015), GAME NIGHT tells the story of an ultra-competitive couple, Max & Annie (Jason Bateman & Rachel McAdams) who's weekly GAME NIGHT is upended by Max' much more successful older brother, Brooks (Kyle Chandler) who promises to "up the ante" on game night by providing a "murder-mystery" type kidnapping. When real kidnappers show up and kidnap Brooks, the clueless couple - and their friends - try to solve what they think is a make believe mystery.
As Directed by Daley & Goldstein and with the subtle comedic stylings of Bateman & McAdams, this film succeeds very well in a calm, funny manner. The humorous parts of this film are viewed with kind of a sideways glance vs. the usual temptation to bash the audience over the head with it. It's as if the filmmakers and actors are relying on the intelligence of the audience to mine their humor. It was quite refreshing for me, as an audience member, to be treated with this respect. And...it was darned funny.
Joining Bateman and McAdams are Sharon Horgan, Billy Magnussen, Lamorne Morris & Kylie Bunbury as the other 2 couples competing to solve the mystery. All are funny in their own way, but Magnussen rises slightly above the rest for his take on "the dumb blonde." But, surprisingly, the person who steals the film is Jessie Plemons as Max & Annie's strange neighbor. Plemons, heretofore known to me only as a dramatic actor, plays his character with such a deadpan earnestness, that I started chuckling whenever he just showed up on the screen - a very good sign, indeed.
If you are looking for a good, funny, film (one where you would be comfortable sitting through with your spouse), then run, don't walk to GAME NIGHT, it will be well worth your time.
Letter Grade: A-
8 (out of 10) stars and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
P.S.: Stay through the end of the credits, it will be worth it.
No need to try to remember now, for GAME NIGHT is a very funny, mostly clean, good old-fashioned comedy where the comedy comes out of how the characters react and interact with each other as an increasingly complex and out-of-control series of events batter them from every possible angle.
Co-Directed by John Francis Daley & Jonathan Goldstein (the duo previously co-Directed the remake of VACATION in 2015), GAME NIGHT tells the story of an ultra-competitive couple, Max & Annie (Jason Bateman & Rachel McAdams) who's weekly GAME NIGHT is upended by Max' much more successful older brother, Brooks (Kyle Chandler) who promises to "up the ante" on game night by providing a "murder-mystery" type kidnapping. When real kidnappers show up and kidnap Brooks, the clueless couple - and their friends - try to solve what they think is a make believe mystery.
As Directed by Daley & Goldstein and with the subtle comedic stylings of Bateman & McAdams, this film succeeds very well in a calm, funny manner. The humorous parts of this film are viewed with kind of a sideways glance vs. the usual temptation to bash the audience over the head with it. It's as if the filmmakers and actors are relying on the intelligence of the audience to mine their humor. It was quite refreshing for me, as an audience member, to be treated with this respect. And...it was darned funny.
Joining Bateman and McAdams are Sharon Horgan, Billy Magnussen, Lamorne Morris & Kylie Bunbury as the other 2 couples competing to solve the mystery. All are funny in their own way, but Magnussen rises slightly above the rest for his take on "the dumb blonde." But, surprisingly, the person who steals the film is Jessie Plemons as Max & Annie's strange neighbor. Plemons, heretofore known to me only as a dramatic actor, plays his character with such a deadpan earnestness, that I started chuckling whenever he just showed up on the screen - a very good sign, indeed.
If you are looking for a good, funny, film (one where you would be comfortable sitting through with your spouse), then run, don't walk to GAME NIGHT, it will be well worth your time.
Letter Grade: A-
8 (out of 10) stars and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
P.S.: Stay through the end of the credits, it will be worth it.
Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (2019) in Movies
Jun 22, 2019 (Updated Sep 25, 2019)
The heating in the screen for this was broken so I was sitting with my scarf wrapped up tight around my face... which came in very handy to soak up all the tears at that ending.
I can't tell you the last time I watched the original two movies, what I can tell you is that Toothless is a comedic genius and should probably just be allowed in every animated film... live action ones too... I might have to start a campaign for that.
This review has the potential to be a massive contradiction. I loved it, I'd totally see it again, but it isn't great for a couple of reasons. We've got a very bland bad guy who should be menacing but manages to stop somewhere at forgettable, then to top it off the storyline isn't great. I've seen a couple of people on Letterboxd refer to it as Thor: Ragnarok... and they're basically right.
Those things aside though it's still a funny and entertaining film. The animation is beautiful and the different landscapes they had to create came together as one world really well. Everything is also accompanied by a wonderful score, when they first come across the hidden world it's particularly dramatic.
When you look at the characters beyond our villain nothing has really changed. Ruffnut was very amusing and one of her scenes had me laughing and realising I have friends just like her. Everyone else was just there... I can't say any of them did anything you wouldn't have expected them to. The only thing that I did find amusing was Hiccup getting the Captain America treatment at the end of the film.
The dragons are by far the most amusing part of the whole film and Toothless practicing his dance with his shadow was super cute. I personally would have been happy just to have a whole movie of dragon "behind the scenes" pieces or one that focused on everything from the dragons' point of view. Something that was a little more goofing off than trying to be an actual story.
Hidden World has lots of flaws but that doesn't stop it from being a lighthearted and amusing movie. I'm going to miss Toothless, I might have to hit Netflix and binge the series they have on there to get my fill.
What you should do
It's a great family film, definitely see it. It doesn't tax the brain and it'll leave you feeling entertained.
Movie thing you wish you could take home
If I could have a little panda dragon that would be wonderful. They don't get too big, right?
I can't tell you the last time I watched the original two movies, what I can tell you is that Toothless is a comedic genius and should probably just be allowed in every animated film... live action ones too... I might have to start a campaign for that.
This review has the potential to be a massive contradiction. I loved it, I'd totally see it again, but it isn't great for a couple of reasons. We've got a very bland bad guy who should be menacing but manages to stop somewhere at forgettable, then to top it off the storyline isn't great. I've seen a couple of people on Letterboxd refer to it as Thor: Ragnarok... and they're basically right.
Those things aside though it's still a funny and entertaining film. The animation is beautiful and the different landscapes they had to create came together as one world really well. Everything is also accompanied by a wonderful score, when they first come across the hidden world it's particularly dramatic.
When you look at the characters beyond our villain nothing has really changed. Ruffnut was very amusing and one of her scenes had me laughing and realising I have friends just like her. Everyone else was just there... I can't say any of them did anything you wouldn't have expected them to. The only thing that I did find amusing was Hiccup getting the Captain America treatment at the end of the film.
The dragons are by far the most amusing part of the whole film and Toothless practicing his dance with his shadow was super cute. I personally would have been happy just to have a whole movie of dragon "behind the scenes" pieces or one that focused on everything from the dragons' point of view. Something that was a little more goofing off than trying to be an actual story.
Hidden World has lots of flaws but that doesn't stop it from being a lighthearted and amusing movie. I'm going to miss Toothless, I might have to hit Netflix and binge the series they have on there to get my fill.
What you should do
It's a great family film, definitely see it. It doesn't tax the brain and it'll leave you feeling entertained.
Movie thing you wish you could take home
If I could have a little panda dragon that would be wonderful. They don't get too big, right?
Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated Luce (2019) in Movies
Oct 26, 2019
Luce was an interesting film to watch, it shows a lot of different relationships and as such it's a very wordy sort of film. I'm not averse to wordy films but they can be a little dry to watch, luckily in this case the main cast are engaging and keep you interested.
Had we not been blessed with such a great performance from Kelvin Harrison Jr as Luce I think this would have failed to make it out of the blocks. Luce becomes something very serious in his hands and the swing in the character left me with an uneasy feeling as I watched. The one frustrating thing I found was that I could sense the insincerity in all of his responses so I was frustrated that it was only really Miss Wilson that picked up on it. I understand that it's a necessary part of the story... but still.
Octavia Spencer didn't disappoint as Harriet Wilson. She got to give a good range as she devolves after going head to head with Luce. I think she probably managed to cover every emotion and handles either end of the spectrum very well.
Tim Roth and Naomi Watts play Luce's adoptive parents. Roth is someone I love on screen but Watts is an unknown entity for me as I've only seen her in 2005's King Kong. There's obviously a certain amount of tension/conflict between the couple but even taking that into consideration I didn't feel there was much of a rapport between them. Even when you take into account the conflict in the film I couldn't quite find it in me to feel anything for the couple, good or bad. Roth as Peter was good and brought across the slightly bitter side of the character well but Watt's Amy didn't seem to have enough emotion behind her. I'd have said that Amy in particular could have stood to be a little grittier, at least a small part of her did need to be a bit of a pushover but combined with her activities in the film the character didn't feel entirely believable.
Luce was enjoyable to watch but looking back I'm less enthusiastic despite the good performances at the front of it. The good sadly didn't outway the average for me and at times it became a little confusing, but it's still a solid film.
From the full review previously posted on: http://emmaatthemovies.blogspot.com/2019/10/luce-movie-review.html
Had we not been blessed with such a great performance from Kelvin Harrison Jr as Luce I think this would have failed to make it out of the blocks. Luce becomes something very serious in his hands and the swing in the character left me with an uneasy feeling as I watched. The one frustrating thing I found was that I could sense the insincerity in all of his responses so I was frustrated that it was only really Miss Wilson that picked up on it. I understand that it's a necessary part of the story... but still.
Octavia Spencer didn't disappoint as Harriet Wilson. She got to give a good range as she devolves after going head to head with Luce. I think she probably managed to cover every emotion and handles either end of the spectrum very well.
Tim Roth and Naomi Watts play Luce's adoptive parents. Roth is someone I love on screen but Watts is an unknown entity for me as I've only seen her in 2005's King Kong. There's obviously a certain amount of tension/conflict between the couple but even taking that into consideration I didn't feel there was much of a rapport between them. Even when you take into account the conflict in the film I couldn't quite find it in me to feel anything for the couple, good or bad. Roth as Peter was good and brought across the slightly bitter side of the character well but Watt's Amy didn't seem to have enough emotion behind her. I'd have said that Amy in particular could have stood to be a little grittier, at least a small part of her did need to be a bit of a pushover but combined with her activities in the film the character didn't feel entirely believable.
Luce was enjoyable to watch but looking back I'm less enthusiastic despite the good performances at the front of it. The good sadly didn't outway the average for me and at times it became a little confusing, but it's still a solid film.
From the full review previously posted on: http://emmaatthemovies.blogspot.com/2019/10/luce-movie-review.html
Debbiereadsbook (1171 KP) rated The Cardinalis Code in Books
Mar 23, 2020
read the book, people, read the damn book!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
So, there I was, merrily reading away. Enjoying this book, not a 5 star read, but a very good solid four star. Some minor typos, but they might be cos of the changing file thing. A good solid 4 star read, that piqued my interest enough to keep going.
And then, in the VERY last chapter, followed by the EPILOGUE, it all changed!
I mean, it made the whole bloody book flip on it's head! And it's gonna be really REALLY hard not to write spoilers into this review, so if it's vague, I ain't sorry!
Paislee takes a job as a blood donor, a donateur for Michael, a Cardinalis, (not EVER a vampire!) When Michael's vicious half brother takes a shine to Paislee, things become deadly, both for Paislee and Michael. Then The Order become involved and Michael has a fight on his hands to keep Paislee safe, and more importantly, to keep her HIS.
Like I said, plodding along, nicely. Moving at speed in places, and little slower in others. Sexy at points, but deadly in others. Sufficiently different in the 'vampire' (Sorry, Michael!) lore to be interesting. These guys don't combust in the sun or sparkle, either! They have a usual sleep pattern, they eat food. So, I enjoyed all that.
Both Michael and Paislee have a say, as do a couple of other characters.
The story concludes, or so I thought, in a way I expected it to, mostly. Michael's brother doesn't quite get the ending I was expecting but still. It all comes to a head and is wrapped up nicely.
THEN!
Michael's mother says something, and the doctor says something and then the doctor says something else and . . . . .cliff hanger people! I mean a proper, spit you dummy out, throw your toys out the pram and throw your kindle at the wall so hard it bounces off and scares the cat! I had to double back a couple of times, to reread what was said by whom, to put the pieces together, and still I have no bloody idea what's going on!
So, for a first book . . .very well played Ms Sterling! For a first in series, because there is much unfinished here, very well played. For that bloody cliff hanger . . .
5 full and shiny stars!
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
So, there I was, merrily reading away. Enjoying this book, not a 5 star read, but a very good solid four star. Some minor typos, but they might be cos of the changing file thing. A good solid 4 star read, that piqued my interest enough to keep going.
And then, in the VERY last chapter, followed by the EPILOGUE, it all changed!
I mean, it made the whole bloody book flip on it's head! And it's gonna be really REALLY hard not to write spoilers into this review, so if it's vague, I ain't sorry!
Paislee takes a job as a blood donor, a donateur for Michael, a Cardinalis, (not EVER a vampire!) When Michael's vicious half brother takes a shine to Paislee, things become deadly, both for Paislee and Michael. Then The Order become involved and Michael has a fight on his hands to keep Paislee safe, and more importantly, to keep her HIS.
Like I said, plodding along, nicely. Moving at speed in places, and little slower in others. Sexy at points, but deadly in others. Sufficiently different in the 'vampire' (Sorry, Michael!) lore to be interesting. These guys don't combust in the sun or sparkle, either! They have a usual sleep pattern, they eat food. So, I enjoyed all that.
Both Michael and Paislee have a say, as do a couple of other characters.
The story concludes, or so I thought, in a way I expected it to, mostly. Michael's brother doesn't quite get the ending I was expecting but still. It all comes to a head and is wrapped up nicely.
THEN!
Michael's mother says something, and the doctor says something and then the doctor says something else and . . . . .cliff hanger people! I mean a proper, spit you dummy out, throw your toys out the pram and throw your kindle at the wall so hard it bounces off and scares the cat! I had to double back a couple of times, to reread what was said by whom, to put the pieces together, and still I have no bloody idea what's going on!
So, for a first book . . .very well played Ms Sterling! For a first in series, because there is much unfinished here, very well played. For that bloody cliff hanger . . .
5 full and shiny stars!
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Gareth von Kallenbach (977 KP) rated Mama (2013) in Movies
Aug 7, 2019
Mama is a ghostly tale about two young sisters Victoria and Lilly who had
vanished after their parents were killed.Their Uncle Lucas (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau)
and his girlfriend Annabelle (Jessica Chastain) never stopped looking for them.
After nearly five years of searching, the girls are found and with some careful
observation and a couple of changes are forced to adapt to their new lives with
their uncle and his girlfriend. Little do Lucas and Annabelle know, there is a
strong supernatural force that will not let go of the young girls. Though Anabelle
hates that she has to become the mother figure for the girls she must do so for
their well being. She soon starts to experience strange happenings in the home and
senses an evil presence that is surrounding the girls and is making Annabelle’s life
a living Hell! Will she and Lucas find out how the girls survived all those years in
the cabin and what the truth is behind the evil force that the girls
call Mama?
Guillermo Del Toro has yet to bring a dull film to the screen with maybe the
exception of a couple of films here and there. His latest one Mama is by far one of
the best supernatural thrillers I have seen in an extremely long time! The story is
one that will be stuck in my nightmares for a while. It brings a new fear of what
might be hiding under our beds at night. As most of all Toro’s films, Mama was well
thought out and had a great flow without long drawn out scenes. Although the ending
was a little disappointing it was quite unexpected and still proves to be one of
Toro’s best so far.
I must admit I have always been a little afraid of the dark, only now it’s a
little worse after seeing Mama but hey, if your looking for a good scare and an edge
of your seat type of supernatural thriller like I usually am, Mama is the one to
see. Especially for those guys that want to take their girlfriends on a date to see
a movie that will make the girls hold on and not let go. I am usually disappointed
with most supernatural movies as they usually show the best scenes in the previews.
Mama leaves all the best scenes out of the previews forcing you to go and experience
them for yourself!
This movie is definitely not for the faint of heart!
vanished after their parents were killed.Their Uncle Lucas (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau)
and his girlfriend Annabelle (Jessica Chastain) never stopped looking for them.
After nearly five years of searching, the girls are found and with some careful
observation and a couple of changes are forced to adapt to their new lives with
their uncle and his girlfriend. Little do Lucas and Annabelle know, there is a
strong supernatural force that will not let go of the young girls. Though Anabelle
hates that she has to become the mother figure for the girls she must do so for
their well being. She soon starts to experience strange happenings in the home and
senses an evil presence that is surrounding the girls and is making Annabelle’s life
a living Hell! Will she and Lucas find out how the girls survived all those years in
the cabin and what the truth is behind the evil force that the girls
call Mama?
Guillermo Del Toro has yet to bring a dull film to the screen with maybe the
exception of a couple of films here and there. His latest one Mama is by far one of
the best supernatural thrillers I have seen in an extremely long time! The story is
one that will be stuck in my nightmares for a while. It brings a new fear of what
might be hiding under our beds at night. As most of all Toro’s films, Mama was well
thought out and had a great flow without long drawn out scenes. Although the ending
was a little disappointing it was quite unexpected and still proves to be one of
Toro’s best so far.
I must admit I have always been a little afraid of the dark, only now it’s a
little worse after seeing Mama but hey, if your looking for a good scare and an edge
of your seat type of supernatural thriller like I usually am, Mama is the one to
see. Especially for those guys that want to take their girlfriends on a date to see
a movie that will make the girls hold on and not let go. I am usually disappointed
with most supernatural movies as they usually show the best scenes in the previews.
Mama leaves all the best scenes out of the previews forcing you to go and experience
them for yourself!
This movie is definitely not for the faint of heart!
Peter Shephard (2822 KP) rated Star Saga in Tabletop Games
Feb 22, 2021
Dozens of miniatures (3 more)
Great detail
Great looking system
Customisable and adaptable
A couple of miniatures are slightly too flexible (minor damage) (1 more)
Limited replayability without going "alone"
Initial impressions and first play
I managed to pick up a copy of Star Saga by Mantic, initially because I wanted the accessories more than the game.
I opened the box and was blown away by the quality and quantity of the miniatures as well as the accessories. We are talking dozens of characters with great sculpts, as well as the doors and consoles etc which look fantastic (and to get these alone is a significant cost). Additionally, you get a couple of dozen deck tiles, which are perfect for many sci fi miniatures games, and can be used separately to the in-box missions, if you wanted to go it alone/freestyle for other players.
I watched one of the Play Through videos on YouTube, and decided to try it myself. The rules are pretty clear and easy to follow, and it does help that the first 2-3 suggested moves are spelled out in the rulebook.
The first mission is a 1-2 player mission; you can literally play the game on your own, and there is enough flex in the Nexus (read- GM) cards to give an unknown quality to the game. Controlling one Character only, it is fully meant to get you used to the game.
First time I played, I rolled poorly (with 4 dice, usually failing to hit, or having my hits blocked by armour/scenery) and eventually got swamped by lesser minions. The second time I tried it, I managed to get through to the objective and complete it; having said that, the first loss was still useful as it meant I could see what impact damage and wounds had on the character.
The second mission is a larger mission, controlling several characters with different rules, with locked doors and more enemies - the rulebook also suggest if you have 2 copies of the game, to play the 1st and 2nd missions at the same time - although I actually think there is enough pieces to play the 2 together from the one box with minimal adjustment (maybe a slightly shorter corridor, for example).
In short, although it doesn't have the same "freeflow" as something like the old gem Warhammer Quest, it is close, and is a great sci fi dungeon crawler. There are also lots of expansions, but I need to defeat these bad guys first...
I opened the box and was blown away by the quality and quantity of the miniatures as well as the accessories. We are talking dozens of characters with great sculpts, as well as the doors and consoles etc which look fantastic (and to get these alone is a significant cost). Additionally, you get a couple of dozen deck tiles, which are perfect for many sci fi miniatures games, and can be used separately to the in-box missions, if you wanted to go it alone/freestyle for other players.
I watched one of the Play Through videos on YouTube, and decided to try it myself. The rules are pretty clear and easy to follow, and it does help that the first 2-3 suggested moves are spelled out in the rulebook.
The first mission is a 1-2 player mission; you can literally play the game on your own, and there is enough flex in the Nexus (read- GM) cards to give an unknown quality to the game. Controlling one Character only, it is fully meant to get you used to the game.
First time I played, I rolled poorly (with 4 dice, usually failing to hit, or having my hits blocked by armour/scenery) and eventually got swamped by lesser minions. The second time I tried it, I managed to get through to the objective and complete it; having said that, the first loss was still useful as it meant I could see what impact damage and wounds had on the character.
The second mission is a larger mission, controlling several characters with different rules, with locked doors and more enemies - the rulebook also suggest if you have 2 copies of the game, to play the 1st and 2nd missions at the same time - although I actually think there is enough pieces to play the 2 together from the one box with minimal adjustment (maybe a slightly shorter corridor, for example).
In short, although it doesn't have the same "freeflow" as something like the old gem Warhammer Quest, it is close, and is a great sci fi dungeon crawler. There are also lots of expansions, but I need to defeat these bad guys first...
Bob Mann (459 KP) rated Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway (2021) in Movies
Jul 25, 2021
Script this time appeals to both Kids and Adults (1 more)
Gleeson, Byrne and Oyelowo are great together
This bunny has legs
I appreciate I'm over 2 months late in seeing "Peter Rabbit 2". But the grandkids were staying for the weekend and wanted to see it again!
Positives:
- This time the movie manages - "Paddington 2" style - to find a good balance between slapstick jokes that appeal to the target younger audience (my grandkids were roaring at certain bits) and the 'dragalong' adult audience. Some of these are gorgeously surreal - like the skiing badger in the Alps as a "university prank". It certainly passes the "6 laugh" test for a comedy, and generated a couple of good guffaws (the Austin Powers landing in the Aston Martin and the subsequent take-off was one for me).
- In the first movie, James Corden's voicing of Peter Rabbit tended to grate with me enormously. Here he gamely plays up to that, accepting that he is a bit of a "marmite" character with a lot of people. It's a fine comic moment.
- Rose Byrne and Domnhall Gleeson make a cute and watchable couple. (Rose Byrne could read the phone directory for me). They are well supported here by David Oyelowo ("Don't look into his eyes") who is the least villainous villain in any movie in recent memory! Also fun are trying to spot the guest voice artistes who include Margot Robbie, Sia, Elizabeth Debicki, Sam Neill, Lennie James and Hayley Atwell.
Negatives:
- A few of the jokes don't quite land (a one-note cockeral story, for example, is overplayed).
- As I've been doing some Supporting Artist work recently, I've become obsessed with observing Extras and the continuity of Extras in shots. There are a few inconsistencies in the mix on this one!
Summary Thoughts: It's fair to say (although I never actually wrote a full review for it) that I was NOT a fan of the original Peter Rabbit movie from 2018. Corden grated; there was not enough for adult viewers and some of the included scenes were highly questionable: try explaining to a three-year-old why Peter was stabbing a dead old man in the eye with his finger! I've avoided watching it again on the TV like the plague.
This sequel was, I thought, much better, being entertaining for both kids and adults. I wonder if I now watched the first movie I might find it, in hindsight, more palatable? Perhaps I will give it a try sometime.
(For the full graphical review, please check out One Mann's Movies on t'interweb, Facebook or Tiktok. Thanks.)
Positives:
- This time the movie manages - "Paddington 2" style - to find a good balance between slapstick jokes that appeal to the target younger audience (my grandkids were roaring at certain bits) and the 'dragalong' adult audience. Some of these are gorgeously surreal - like the skiing badger in the Alps as a "university prank". It certainly passes the "6 laugh" test for a comedy, and generated a couple of good guffaws (the Austin Powers landing in the Aston Martin and the subsequent take-off was one for me).
- In the first movie, James Corden's voicing of Peter Rabbit tended to grate with me enormously. Here he gamely plays up to that, accepting that he is a bit of a "marmite" character with a lot of people. It's a fine comic moment.
- Rose Byrne and Domnhall Gleeson make a cute and watchable couple. (Rose Byrne could read the phone directory for me). They are well supported here by David Oyelowo ("Don't look into his eyes") who is the least villainous villain in any movie in recent memory! Also fun are trying to spot the guest voice artistes who include Margot Robbie, Sia, Elizabeth Debicki, Sam Neill, Lennie James and Hayley Atwell.
Negatives:
- A few of the jokes don't quite land (a one-note cockeral story, for example, is overplayed).
- As I've been doing some Supporting Artist work recently, I've become obsessed with observing Extras and the continuity of Extras in shots. There are a few inconsistencies in the mix on this one!
Summary Thoughts: It's fair to say (although I never actually wrote a full review for it) that I was NOT a fan of the original Peter Rabbit movie from 2018. Corden grated; there was not enough for adult viewers and some of the included scenes were highly questionable: try explaining to a three-year-old why Peter was stabbing a dead old man in the eye with his finger! I've avoided watching it again on the TV like the plague.
This sequel was, I thought, much better, being entertaining for both kids and adults. I wonder if I now watched the first movie I might find it, in hindsight, more palatable? Perhaps I will give it a try sometime.
(For the full graphical review, please check out One Mann's Movies on t'interweb, Facebook or Tiktok. Thanks.)
Darren (1599 KP) rated Scooby Doo: Return to Zombie Island (2019) in Movies
Sep 16, 2019
Characters – Scooby-Doo and Shaggy have both become tired of solving mysteries, they want the team to stop and get their way, they win the holiday for the gang which sees them going to an old location needing to decide whether to let the group solve the mystery on the island. Fred has sold the Mystery Machine, he is having daytime dreams of it returning to him, where he judges most other vehicles for not being on the same level as his beloved. Daphne is here, though we don’t see anything we haven’t seen before from her, while Velma has a blog showing us just how the character has evolved for the time, which does show the frustration here character has when she can’t solve the mysteries anymore. Most of the new characters are left to feel just here with only Alan the hotel manager and Seaver being properly introduced.
Story – The story here follows the mystery inc gang who get invited back to an old location to solve the mystery from their past, only to find themselves needing to fight cat people once again. The story tries to be self-aware of many of the previous films, which has worked before, but for some reason doesn’t quite click this time. The fact we have seen the evolution of Velma and not the rest of the characters disappoints, which also seems to play along the idea of being a film within a film, that just again puts too much wink, wink, nudge, nudge to the audience. If you are a Scooby Doo fan, this story is everything you need, even if it does have a couple of flaws along the way.
Adventure/Comedy – The adventure does see the gang return to one of their most famous locations, which is different to much of what we have seen before, while the comedy does land in a couple of places very well.
Settings – The film does take the gang back to Moonscar island to face a new host of enemies in one of the most famous locations.
Animation – This does have the typical animation you are used to seeing for the Scooby Doo movies, it never lets down and works for the slapstick side of things.
Scene of the Movie – The big jump.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – Daphne is almost just painted background character.
Final Thoughts – This isn’t the best Scooby Doo animated movie, it disappoints in a lot of places with how it handles certain decisions in the story and too many wink wink nudge nudge moments.
Overall: Basic Scooby Doo.
Story – The story here follows the mystery inc gang who get invited back to an old location to solve the mystery from their past, only to find themselves needing to fight cat people once again. The story tries to be self-aware of many of the previous films, which has worked before, but for some reason doesn’t quite click this time. The fact we have seen the evolution of Velma and not the rest of the characters disappoints, which also seems to play along the idea of being a film within a film, that just again puts too much wink, wink, nudge, nudge to the audience. If you are a Scooby Doo fan, this story is everything you need, even if it does have a couple of flaws along the way.
Adventure/Comedy – The adventure does see the gang return to one of their most famous locations, which is different to much of what we have seen before, while the comedy does land in a couple of places very well.
Settings – The film does take the gang back to Moonscar island to face a new host of enemies in one of the most famous locations.
Animation – This does have the typical animation you are used to seeing for the Scooby Doo movies, it never lets down and works for the slapstick side of things.
Scene of the Movie – The big jump.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – Daphne is almost just painted background character.
Final Thoughts – This isn’t the best Scooby Doo animated movie, it disappoints in a lot of places with how it handles certain decisions in the story and too many wink wink nudge nudge moments.
Overall: Basic Scooby Doo.
Ace (Moonshine Task Force #4)
10.0
Rate It
Book
Ace is saving lives and mending hearts....... Anthony “Ace” Bailey I’m not a rules...
Kim Pook (101 KP) rated And Just Like That in TV
Feb 19, 2022
New character Seema (1 more)
More diversity
New character Che (3 more)
Too much diversity
No Samantha
Death of a major character
Just as good without Samantha
Contains spoilers, click to show
I wasn't sure if a sex and the city reboot would work without Samantha but I was pleasently surprised. At first I did very much notice Samantha's absence but after a few episodes I did get used to it, I liked that there was a couple of mentions of her and Carrie is seen texting her as well as an off screen meet up in Paris, I like that they didn't act as if she never existed and new character Seema is a pretty good replacement for the Samantha shaped hole left in the series.
I wasn't overly keen on the character Che, I found her pretty obnoxious and led Miranda down a path that she was adament she wouldn't go down in Season 1 of the original series. This might be because I liked Steve and Miranda together, I ended up feeling so sorry for Steve and I do hope that if there's a season 2 Miranda will realise once again that Steve is her one and only as her and Che don't make sense at all.
I like that there is more diversity this time around but I do feel they went over the top with the wide range of diverse characters, to the point that I felt the main characters wasn't the main focus and the writers seemed more interested in how much diversity they can fit into one show, there were even scenes which included none of the main girls that I had no interest in such as the couple trying for a baby through IVF, I just felt their characters wasn't strong enough to have scenes by themselves.
I won't spoil it too much, but In the final episode there is a very noticeable edit during a dream sequence. I understand why it was edited due to recent events but they should have dropped that entire scene completely and just have Carrie talk about it, although personally I would have liked to see that scene in its entirity.
All these points aside though, I did really enjoy it. It had all the humour and raunchiness of the original series, in fact I liked it so much I binge watched it in 2 days. I do hope there's another season as it would be interesting to see where the characters go.
I wasn't overly keen on the character Che, I found her pretty obnoxious and led Miranda down a path that she was adament she wouldn't go down in Season 1 of the original series. This might be because I liked Steve and Miranda together, I ended up feeling so sorry for Steve and I do hope that if there's a season 2 Miranda will realise once again that Steve is her one and only as her and Che don't make sense at all.
I like that there is more diversity this time around but I do feel they went over the top with the wide range of diverse characters, to the point that I felt the main characters wasn't the main focus and the writers seemed more interested in how much diversity they can fit into one show, there were even scenes which included none of the main girls that I had no interest in such as the couple trying for a baby through IVF, I just felt their characters wasn't strong enough to have scenes by themselves.
I won't spoil it too much, but In the final episode there is a very noticeable edit during a dream sequence. I understand why it was edited due to recent events but they should have dropped that entire scene completely and just have Carrie talk about it, although personally I would have liked to see that scene in its entirity.
All these points aside though, I did really enjoy it. It had all the humour and raunchiness of the original series, in fact I liked it so much I binge watched it in 2 days. I do hope there's another season as it would be interesting to see where the characters go.