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Steph Freeman (26 KP) rated American on Purpose: The Improbable Adventures of an Unlikely Patriot in Books
Jan 5, 2018
Another Late Night Memoir
This book was just what I needed to help get me through the pre-holiday slump at work. Craig Ferguson's narration of the audio book felt like sharing a cuppa with a neighbor or an old friend as they shared their life story in an all night conversation. I fell in love with his comedy through the Late Late Show, and have enjoyed following his career ever since. As an entrepreneur it's encouraging to know success isn't perfect, or even planned.
Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated Winnie the Pooh (2011) in Movies
Mar 27, 2020
Everything Is Honey
Winnie The Pooh- is a excellent movie, with excellent charcters and a excellent plot. It has adventure, more adventure and dont forgot about adventure. Did i mention adventure. It also has comedy, sadness and music. Songs like.. "The Tummy Song", "A Very Important Thing To Do", "The Backson Song", and "Everything is Honey".
The plot: Three stories inspired by A.A. Milne add up to a very busy day for Winnie the Pooh (Jim Cummings) and friends. Upon learning that Eeyore (Bud Luckey) has lost his tail, the residents of the Hundred Acre Wood start a contest to see who can find a new one for the melancholy donkey -- with a pot of honey going to the winner. Amid the goings-on, Owl (Craig Ferguson) mistakenly relates the news that Christopher Robin has been abducted. However, all ends well when Pooh finds a land of sweet delights.
A execellent movie to end on for "More Disney Classic Animations".
The plot: Three stories inspired by A.A. Milne add up to a very busy day for Winnie the Pooh (Jim Cummings) and friends. Upon learning that Eeyore (Bud Luckey) has lost his tail, the residents of the Hundred Acre Wood start a contest to see who can find a new one for the melancholy donkey -- with a pot of honey going to the winner. Amid the goings-on, Owl (Craig Ferguson) mistakenly relates the news that Christopher Robin has been abducted. However, all ends well when Pooh finds a land of sweet delights.
A execellent movie to end on for "More Disney Classic Animations".
Charlie Cobra Reviews (1840 KP) rated How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (2019) in Movies
Jul 3, 2020
Flying On Fumes: Bittersweet End to Dragons - 7/10
How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World is the final installment in the trilogy of films based on the books by Cressidia Cowell. It was written and directed by Dean Deblois, produced by DreamWorks Animation and distributed by Universal. With a returning cast starring Jay Burachel, America Ferrera, Cate Blanchett, and Craig Ferguson.
One year after (How To Train Your Dragon 2) Hiccup (Jay Burachel) and friends defended Berk from the threat of Drago Bludvist; the group is still rescuing dragons and relocating them back to their village. Now however the villagers are dealing with a problem of overcrowding and overpopulation of dragons. Hiccup begins the process of finding a new home for everyone to relocate to, the fabled "Hidden World" of the dragons. The conflict of the film enters when the Vikings whose dragons Hiccup has been freeing, seek the help of Grimmel the Grisly (F. Murray Abraham), a dragon hunter responsible for the eradication and near extermination of all Night Furies. And also Toothless being enamoured with the discovery of a female White Fury dragon.
This movie was really good and while watching I had fun seeing the whole group dynamic and how everyone interacted with each other. It felt awesome seeing them again and how they all grew up a little over the last year. When comparing this movie to the others in the series, it felt like it fell short especially for being the last movie in the trilogy. I guess it was hard to surpass how great the last film was. While visually stunning and exhilarating at times it failed to be as great as it could have and felt like something was missing in this conclusion to an epic series. The atmosphere of the movie felt like it never quite matched the tone that they were trying to set with the seriousness of the plot. It's like only the main character felt the weight of the world on his shoulders but it is a kids movie after all. Like I said certainly enjoyable, I give it a 7/10.
One year after (How To Train Your Dragon 2) Hiccup (Jay Burachel) and friends defended Berk from the threat of Drago Bludvist; the group is still rescuing dragons and relocating them back to their village. Now however the villagers are dealing with a problem of overcrowding and overpopulation of dragons. Hiccup begins the process of finding a new home for everyone to relocate to, the fabled "Hidden World" of the dragons. The conflict of the film enters when the Vikings whose dragons Hiccup has been freeing, seek the help of Grimmel the Grisly (F. Murray Abraham), a dragon hunter responsible for the eradication and near extermination of all Night Furies. And also Toothless being enamoured with the discovery of a female White Fury dragon.
This movie was really good and while watching I had fun seeing the whole group dynamic and how everyone interacted with each other. It felt awesome seeing them again and how they all grew up a little over the last year. When comparing this movie to the others in the series, it felt like it fell short especially for being the last movie in the trilogy. I guess it was hard to surpass how great the last film was. While visually stunning and exhilarating at times it failed to be as great as it could have and felt like something was missing in this conclusion to an epic series. The atmosphere of the movie felt like it never quite matched the tone that they were trying to set with the seriousness of the plot. It's like only the main character felt the weight of the world on his shoulders but it is a kids movie after all. Like I said certainly enjoyable, I give it a 7/10.
Gareth von Kallenbach (965 KP) rated Brave (2012) in Movies
Aug 7, 2019
The digital wizards at Pixar have an incredible dossier of Academy award-winning animated films. Their latest film “Brave“, is a prime example of the bold new direction for the company behind such classics as “Finding Nemo“, “Toy Story“, “The Incredible’s“, and “Monsters, Inc.” just to name a few. This time out Scotland provides the setting for the animation masters to weave their magic, and they do in a splendid 3-D feast of sight, sound, and color that captures the breathtaking beauty of the Scottish Highlands.
For Princess Merida (Kelly Madonald), life is filled with joy and frustration. As the daughter to King Fergus (Billy Connolly), and Queen Elinor (Emma Thompson), she has to walk a fine line between the duties and expectation of her mother and her freewheeling lifestyle of daring and adventure. The young Princess is content to ride through the countryside astride her horse Angus, and perfect her already admirable archery skills.
When Merida learns that her parents have summoned the other major clans so that a worthy suitor can be chosen, Merida rebels openly at their plan and causes great embarrassment to her family during a competition. In a fit of rebellious anger, Merida rides into the woods, and comes upon a witch who promises to create for the young princess a spell that will forever change her destiny. Although not done out of malice, the spell has some on expected consequences that threatens the future of the kingdom as well as the safety of Merida’s family.
The film has some outstanding performances, not the least of which is Connolly, who was an absolute delight whenever his character was on screen. Supporting work by Craig Ferguson and Robbie Coltrane complement the leads well. Since my mother is a Scot, I am all-too-familiar with not only the history but culture of Scotland. I had been concerned when I first heard the project that it would play up on certain stereotypes and miss the true complexity and splendor of Scotland and its people, as well as it’s extremely rich history which is filled with numerous technical and literary achievements over the centuries.
Thankfully my concerns were allayed very early in the film not simply because of the amazing visual detail of the movie but also because of the lovable but quirky characters. The writers and animators managed to capture the very nature of the people and the culture, which is no easy thing in an animated film. Kudos for the casting of the mostly Scottish cast who played their roles with relish. I can honestly say hearing King Fergus address the clans brought to mind my aunts, uncles and cousins thanks to the distinct Scottish brogue. I especially liked the fact that when conflict erupted (of course) amongst even the best of friends, there are some very clever ways that laughs were gained without turning the characters into buffoons or being overly cute.
While the film plays it fairly safe with the story, Pixar’s first female heroine gives us a very fun and enjoyable tale that offers something for the entire family without talking down to the audience or having to resort to crude humor. A few scenes may be a bit intense for youngsters and while it will not be cited for any technological breakthroughs Brave, nonetheless, is highly entertaining.
For Princess Merida (Kelly Madonald), life is filled with joy and frustration. As the daughter to King Fergus (Billy Connolly), and Queen Elinor (Emma Thompson), she has to walk a fine line between the duties and expectation of her mother and her freewheeling lifestyle of daring and adventure. The young Princess is content to ride through the countryside astride her horse Angus, and perfect her already admirable archery skills.
When Merida learns that her parents have summoned the other major clans so that a worthy suitor can be chosen, Merida rebels openly at their plan and causes great embarrassment to her family during a competition. In a fit of rebellious anger, Merida rides into the woods, and comes upon a witch who promises to create for the young princess a spell that will forever change her destiny. Although not done out of malice, the spell has some on expected consequences that threatens the future of the kingdom as well as the safety of Merida’s family.
The film has some outstanding performances, not the least of which is Connolly, who was an absolute delight whenever his character was on screen. Supporting work by Craig Ferguson and Robbie Coltrane complement the leads well. Since my mother is a Scot, I am all-too-familiar with not only the history but culture of Scotland. I had been concerned when I first heard the project that it would play up on certain stereotypes and miss the true complexity and splendor of Scotland and its people, as well as it’s extremely rich history which is filled with numerous technical and literary achievements over the centuries.
Thankfully my concerns were allayed very early in the film not simply because of the amazing visual detail of the movie but also because of the lovable but quirky characters. The writers and animators managed to capture the very nature of the people and the culture, which is no easy thing in an animated film. Kudos for the casting of the mostly Scottish cast who played their roles with relish. I can honestly say hearing King Fergus address the clans brought to mind my aunts, uncles and cousins thanks to the distinct Scottish brogue. I especially liked the fact that when conflict erupted (of course) amongst even the best of friends, there are some very clever ways that laughs were gained without turning the characters into buffoons or being overly cute.
While the film plays it fairly safe with the story, Pixar’s first female heroine gives us a very fun and enjoyable tale that offers something for the entire family without talking down to the audience or having to resort to crude humor. A few scenes may be a bit intense for youngsters and while it will not be cited for any technological breakthroughs Brave, nonetheless, is highly entertaining.
Gareth von Kallenbach (965 KP) rated How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (2019) in Movies
Jul 2, 2019
Universal Pictures is wrapping up its How To Train Your Dragon Trilogy with the release of the film: How To Train Your Dragon: Hidden World, set to release on Friday, February 22, 2019.
The film brings back the same core cast of characters as the previous two movies, with Hiccup (Jay Baruchel), Astrid, (America Ferrera), Valka (Cate Blanchet), Eret (Kit Harrington), Gobber (Craig Ferguson), Snotlout (Jonah Hill), Ruffnutt (Kristen Wiig), Tuffnut (TJ Miller), Fishlegs (Christopher Mintz-Plasse), and flashback appearances of Stoic (Gerard Butler).
The story opens on what is supposed to be a “stealthy raid” but isn’t, quite.
We learn that Hiccup and his band of friends (both Dragon and human) are on a continuous mission to rescue captured Dragons from the poachers determined to capture and exploit them.
Hiccup and his friends then bring the rescued dragons back to Berk which is now a “Dragon-Viking utopia”. This arrangement, however idyllic, does not appear to be sustainable in the long-term. It is crowded and messy and Berk is just simply running out of room to house any more Dragons! Astrid and Gobber are concerned that housing all the Dragons on Berk makes the settlement a target for the Dragon hunters, endangering the entire community.
Hiccup is still exploring and reading his father’s old records, and remains convinced that there is “more” out there. He enlists Astrid’s help in finding the hidden world where he believes that all of Berk could move to, with their Dragons to leave in peace and secrecy.
After an attack on Berk, the rest of the community is convinced that Hiccup is right (even as he is not fully convinced himself of his ability to lead them successfully) and agrees to follow him in his search for the Hidden World sanctuary.
The story follows them on their quest and the dangers and successes of the journey to find a new, more suitable home.
The music, animation, and scenery in this movie is great. The details are phenomenal, from the characters’ hair, to the movements of the Dragons, to the Hidden World cave details, really show the attention that was paid in making this movie stand out!
The story line itself, as a continuation of the previous two movies, flows well, and follows an appropriate arc, both as far as relationships as well as time.
The addition of a new Dragon, and the relationship that evolves between the Light Fury and Toothless brings a new level of evolution to the existing relationship between Toothless and Hiccup, and plays on the adage of “if you love something, set it free”.
I laughed throughout the movie, at the dragons’ antics and expressions and interactions with their humans and each other. I held my breath in anticipation at some aspects, and heard myself say ‘oh no!” under my breath at one point as well. Dragons 3 drew me in from the start, and didn’t let go till the very end of the credit rolled. (We stayed until the lights came back up, and even the credits had me smiling with their small surprises!)
I found myself both wishing that this installment wouldn’t be “the end” as well as acknowledging that this story provided a fitting end to the series of films.
If there MUST be an end, this film wraps up the story nicely and provides closure, while yet leaving enough room to imagine what might come next.
I would give this movie 5 out of 5 stars, and while we did not see it in IMAX or 3D, if you have those options available, I would recommend that as well!
The film brings back the same core cast of characters as the previous two movies, with Hiccup (Jay Baruchel), Astrid, (America Ferrera), Valka (Cate Blanchet), Eret (Kit Harrington), Gobber (Craig Ferguson), Snotlout (Jonah Hill), Ruffnutt (Kristen Wiig), Tuffnut (TJ Miller), Fishlegs (Christopher Mintz-Plasse), and flashback appearances of Stoic (Gerard Butler).
The story opens on what is supposed to be a “stealthy raid” but isn’t, quite.
We learn that Hiccup and his band of friends (both Dragon and human) are on a continuous mission to rescue captured Dragons from the poachers determined to capture and exploit them.
Hiccup and his friends then bring the rescued dragons back to Berk which is now a “Dragon-Viking utopia”. This arrangement, however idyllic, does not appear to be sustainable in the long-term. It is crowded and messy and Berk is just simply running out of room to house any more Dragons! Astrid and Gobber are concerned that housing all the Dragons on Berk makes the settlement a target for the Dragon hunters, endangering the entire community.
Hiccup is still exploring and reading his father’s old records, and remains convinced that there is “more” out there. He enlists Astrid’s help in finding the hidden world where he believes that all of Berk could move to, with their Dragons to leave in peace and secrecy.
After an attack on Berk, the rest of the community is convinced that Hiccup is right (even as he is not fully convinced himself of his ability to lead them successfully) and agrees to follow him in his search for the Hidden World sanctuary.
The story follows them on their quest and the dangers and successes of the journey to find a new, more suitable home.
The music, animation, and scenery in this movie is great. The details are phenomenal, from the characters’ hair, to the movements of the Dragons, to the Hidden World cave details, really show the attention that was paid in making this movie stand out!
The story line itself, as a continuation of the previous two movies, flows well, and follows an appropriate arc, both as far as relationships as well as time.
The addition of a new Dragon, and the relationship that evolves between the Light Fury and Toothless brings a new level of evolution to the existing relationship between Toothless and Hiccup, and plays on the adage of “if you love something, set it free”.
I laughed throughout the movie, at the dragons’ antics and expressions and interactions with their humans and each other. I held my breath in anticipation at some aspects, and heard myself say ‘oh no!” under my breath at one point as well. Dragons 3 drew me in from the start, and didn’t let go till the very end of the credit rolled. (We stayed until the lights came back up, and even the credits had me smiling with their small surprises!)
I found myself both wishing that this installment wouldn’t be “the end” as well as acknowledging that this story provided a fitting end to the series of films.
If there MUST be an end, this film wraps up the story nicely and provides closure, while yet leaving enough room to imagine what might come next.
I would give this movie 5 out of 5 stars, and while we did not see it in IMAX or 3D, if you have those options available, I would recommend that as well!