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Gareth von Kallenbach (968 KP) rated Ant-Man and the Wasp (2018) in Movies
Jun 19, 2019
Following the unexpected and shocking moments from “Avengers: Infinity War”, fans eagerly awaited the next Marvel Studios film for any type of clues as to what will happen next when the next Avengers film arrives next summer. “Ant-Man and the Wasp”, is set before the events of “Avengers: Infinity War”, and finds Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) under home confinement thanks to a plea deal he took for siding with Captain America in “Captain America: Civil War”.
The years of being at home have driven Scott to find creative ways to entertain himself when his friend Luis (Michael Pena) and his daughter Cassie are not around. Scott is nearing the end of his isolation but knows F.B.I. Agent Woo (Randall Park), is waiting for him to slip up and with a possible twenty year prison term in the balance, he is not eager to make any mistakes.
Scott is also on the outs with Hope (Evangeline Lilly) and her father Hank (Michael Douglas) as it is revealed he took the Ant-Man suit and took part in the Civil War without their permission.
Fate intervenes when a strange dream causes Scott to contact Hope who in turn takes a reluctant Scott along with her to get to the bottom of the dream. Scott is naturally reluctant as he is days away from freedom and being discovered out and about and consorting with his wanted former associates would not be good for his eventual freedom.
A shady tech dealer named Sonny Burch (Walton Goggins) and a dangerous new adversary named “Ghost” (Hannah John-Kamen) also complicate matters and force Scott, Hope, and Hank to contend with issues all around them as the race against time on an urgent mission while trying to stay away from Woo and his team.
The film is a bit slow getting started but it does have some great character moments as well as humor around the build-up to the action sequences. The action when it comes mixes some great visual FX with some humor as Hope and Scott jump between everyday items at various sizes to face the threats presented to them. The cast works very well with one another and there are some great moments that will likely become favorites for fans of the characters and Marvel.
The Ghost is a rather interesting choice as an adversary as we do not have an individual bent on conquest, revenge, mass destruction, or accumulating power and wealth. While it may seem odd to have a more down to earth and relatable villain in a Marvel film, it does continue a recent trend of showing of adversaries who are complex, harder to define, and sympathetic much like The Winter Soldier.
There are two scenes in the credits which are very important to the continuity of the Marvel Universe and with “Captain Marvel” due in March 2019, it will likely get fans whipped into overdrive thinking about the possibilities they present.
“Ant-Man and the Wasp” is not as epic in scale as some of the past Marvel films, but thanks to a likeable cast and some timely humor, it should keep fans happy until the next chapter in the series.
http://sknr.net/2018/06/27/ant-man-and-the-wasp/
The years of being at home have driven Scott to find creative ways to entertain himself when his friend Luis (Michael Pena) and his daughter Cassie are not around. Scott is nearing the end of his isolation but knows F.B.I. Agent Woo (Randall Park), is waiting for him to slip up and with a possible twenty year prison term in the balance, he is not eager to make any mistakes.
Scott is also on the outs with Hope (Evangeline Lilly) and her father Hank (Michael Douglas) as it is revealed he took the Ant-Man suit and took part in the Civil War without their permission.
Fate intervenes when a strange dream causes Scott to contact Hope who in turn takes a reluctant Scott along with her to get to the bottom of the dream. Scott is naturally reluctant as he is days away from freedom and being discovered out and about and consorting with his wanted former associates would not be good for his eventual freedom.
A shady tech dealer named Sonny Burch (Walton Goggins) and a dangerous new adversary named “Ghost” (Hannah John-Kamen) also complicate matters and force Scott, Hope, and Hank to contend with issues all around them as the race against time on an urgent mission while trying to stay away from Woo and his team.
The film is a bit slow getting started but it does have some great character moments as well as humor around the build-up to the action sequences. The action when it comes mixes some great visual FX with some humor as Hope and Scott jump between everyday items at various sizes to face the threats presented to them. The cast works very well with one another and there are some great moments that will likely become favorites for fans of the characters and Marvel.
The Ghost is a rather interesting choice as an adversary as we do not have an individual bent on conquest, revenge, mass destruction, or accumulating power and wealth. While it may seem odd to have a more down to earth and relatable villain in a Marvel film, it does continue a recent trend of showing of adversaries who are complex, harder to define, and sympathetic much like The Winter Soldier.
There are two scenes in the credits which are very important to the continuity of the Marvel Universe and with “Captain Marvel” due in March 2019, it will likely get fans whipped into overdrive thinking about the possibilities they present.
“Ant-Man and the Wasp” is not as epic in scale as some of the past Marvel films, but thanks to a likeable cast and some timely humor, it should keep fans happy until the next chapter in the series.
http://sknr.net/2018/06/27/ant-man-and-the-wasp/
Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated The Personal History of David Copperfield (2019) in Movies
Mar 2, 2020
More classic literature retold for the modern audience, this time with a very distinctive and chaotic style.
Young David Copperfield is sent off into the world by his step-father. Unaware of the real woes of the world he must keep his spirits up as his surroundings changes to a much harsher nature. As he grows he's still a creative and happy-go-lucky young man but has he found himself in the place he truly wants to be?
I had to keep reminding myself that the film we were watching was being told to us by David himself, the chaotic nature throughout would have been, in part, down to his natural chaotic energy. It did become overwhelming at times though and starting the film with so many transitions was quite off putting.
I don't remember the last time I saw a cast this diverse, and that's a great thing but the cynical side of me did briefly wonder if it was diversity for the sake of that bit of recognition. Ugh, I hate thinking that, and it's in no way a reflection on the cast as they're all excellent actors, but I didn't feel like some of the character dynamics worked together. That may also have something to do with the frantic nature of everything else going on though.
There's definite theatre in this, each scene feels like it takes place in a confined space, like that of a stage, until it opens up at the end to its infinite future and possibilities.
Everything in this period drama feels wrong for a traditional period drama. The cities would normally be drab and dank but everything has a surprisingly light and airy nature to it, a quirk of David's optimism maybe? Each location was stunning though and designed perfectly for its needs. The Micawber's home being accessible from almost every angle to allow for the tussles with the creditors, and Mr Dick's room as a reflection of the chaos in his head. There was much to marvel at but so little time to see it as it fought for attention with the constantly moving script.
Dev Patel feels like the perfect choice for the role of Copperfield, the excitement and optimism in it is not that far off his portrayal of Sonny Kapoor in The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. He brought the energy needed to keep up with the pace and it made for an entertaining lead.
Was this just too much though? So much story crammed into just 2 hours of screen time. Too many great actors never really getting a chance to make an impact [a very similar feeling to the Knives Out's roster]. A pace that was akin to a 2 hour version of Clue's multiple endings. Too much, I was exhausted after seeing it.
Having only seen Iannucci's directing before in Death Of Stalin I'm unsure as to whether this pacing issue is something common to him, I genuinely don't remember that being quite this chaotic, but that alone was enough to put me off. The experience felt rushed and that's never how I want to feel when I watch a film.
Originally posted on: http://emmaatthemovies.blogspot.com/2020/03/the-personal-history-of-david.html
Young David Copperfield is sent off into the world by his step-father. Unaware of the real woes of the world he must keep his spirits up as his surroundings changes to a much harsher nature. As he grows he's still a creative and happy-go-lucky young man but has he found himself in the place he truly wants to be?
I had to keep reminding myself that the film we were watching was being told to us by David himself, the chaotic nature throughout would have been, in part, down to his natural chaotic energy. It did become overwhelming at times though and starting the film with so many transitions was quite off putting.
I don't remember the last time I saw a cast this diverse, and that's a great thing but the cynical side of me did briefly wonder if it was diversity for the sake of that bit of recognition. Ugh, I hate thinking that, and it's in no way a reflection on the cast as they're all excellent actors, but I didn't feel like some of the character dynamics worked together. That may also have something to do with the frantic nature of everything else going on though.
There's definite theatre in this, each scene feels like it takes place in a confined space, like that of a stage, until it opens up at the end to its infinite future and possibilities.
Everything in this period drama feels wrong for a traditional period drama. The cities would normally be drab and dank but everything has a surprisingly light and airy nature to it, a quirk of David's optimism maybe? Each location was stunning though and designed perfectly for its needs. The Micawber's home being accessible from almost every angle to allow for the tussles with the creditors, and Mr Dick's room as a reflection of the chaos in his head. There was much to marvel at but so little time to see it as it fought for attention with the constantly moving script.
Dev Patel feels like the perfect choice for the role of Copperfield, the excitement and optimism in it is not that far off his portrayal of Sonny Kapoor in The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. He brought the energy needed to keep up with the pace and it made for an entertaining lead.
Was this just too much though? So much story crammed into just 2 hours of screen time. Too many great actors never really getting a chance to make an impact [a very similar feeling to the Knives Out's roster]. A pace that was akin to a 2 hour version of Clue's multiple endings. Too much, I was exhausted after seeing it.
Having only seen Iannucci's directing before in Death Of Stalin I'm unsure as to whether this pacing issue is something common to him, I genuinely don't remember that being quite this chaotic, but that alone was enough to put me off. The experience felt rushed and that's never how I want to feel when I watch a film.
Originally posted on: http://emmaatthemovies.blogspot.com/2020/03/the-personal-history-of-david.html
Kirk Bage (1775 KP) rated His Dark Materials in TV
Mar 3, 2020
Any fan of Phillip Pullman’s epic trilogy will tell you that His Dark Materials is one of the best stories ever told. There is so much scope to adapt and interpret the narrative, so rich are the textures, characterisation and pure weight of its many themes. Which is perhaps why any re-imagining will always come under such intense and divisive scrutiny.
The American studio version, patronisingly renamed The Golden Compass for the hard of thinking, was absolutely woeful, despite some canny casting. Choosing to focus too much on the potential of spectacular effects, rather than concentrating on the key elements of plot that make Northern Lights the perfect exposition for a much larger message.
You could always trust the BBC in conjunction with HBO not to make that same mistake. Which is why this version largely succeeds, regardless of some valid criticism concerning clunky dialogue and some creative re-arranging of events from the book. Yes, there is still a lot of telling rather than showing, in an attempt to engage an audience that have yet to read the source material; but, really, it didn’t bother me at all.
Casting Logan’s Dafne Keen as Lyra was the first stroke of genius. This girl has some serious potential, and, as the episodes unfold, she more than holds her own against more experienced actors in key roles. Her presence is a driving force from the get go that at times left me breathless at just how much she understands this complex young character. Truly exciting for the next chapter…
Of course, Ruth Wilson is more than capable of fulfilling the nuance of the sinister Mrs Coulter. And James McAvoy does an admirable job also, in a pivotal, but thankless role (for now) as Lord Asriel. But, no part is neglected, in this cast of dozens, which depends hugely on the idea of adults trying to control a world (eventually many worlds) in crisis!
The casting throughout is immensely bold – hardly a single actor matched my inner vision of them from the book, but the more I came to trust the production, the more I appreciated the clever choices made in this respect. Again, story-telling is always more important than spectacle, and episode to episode I simply began to believe in this version whole-heartedly – and I include in that all the voice actors who bring to life the demons, bears and all other CGI characters.
It is easy to gripe about what is wrong about it all. I can’t ever imagine a perfect visual re-telling of HDM that doesn’t disappoint at some level… but, more important to see what is very right about it! I felt moved, shocked, excited and elated at all the right moments! Basically, I got onboard and allowed myself to enjoy the story.
And what a story! Northern Lights exists as a phenomenon on its merits, but The Subtle Knife is where the themes of this idea really take off! Almost a year to wait for the next season… All I can say is, what an opportunity to make this one of the best things BBC has ever done.
Too many debating points for a brief summary. Keep watching is all I would say to anyone. Or perhaps I just want it too much…
The American studio version, patronisingly renamed The Golden Compass for the hard of thinking, was absolutely woeful, despite some canny casting. Choosing to focus too much on the potential of spectacular effects, rather than concentrating on the key elements of plot that make Northern Lights the perfect exposition for a much larger message.
You could always trust the BBC in conjunction with HBO not to make that same mistake. Which is why this version largely succeeds, regardless of some valid criticism concerning clunky dialogue and some creative re-arranging of events from the book. Yes, there is still a lot of telling rather than showing, in an attempt to engage an audience that have yet to read the source material; but, really, it didn’t bother me at all.
Casting Logan’s Dafne Keen as Lyra was the first stroke of genius. This girl has some serious potential, and, as the episodes unfold, she more than holds her own against more experienced actors in key roles. Her presence is a driving force from the get go that at times left me breathless at just how much she understands this complex young character. Truly exciting for the next chapter…
Of course, Ruth Wilson is more than capable of fulfilling the nuance of the sinister Mrs Coulter. And James McAvoy does an admirable job also, in a pivotal, but thankless role (for now) as Lord Asriel. But, no part is neglected, in this cast of dozens, which depends hugely on the idea of adults trying to control a world (eventually many worlds) in crisis!
The casting throughout is immensely bold – hardly a single actor matched my inner vision of them from the book, but the more I came to trust the production, the more I appreciated the clever choices made in this respect. Again, story-telling is always more important than spectacle, and episode to episode I simply began to believe in this version whole-heartedly – and I include in that all the voice actors who bring to life the demons, bears and all other CGI characters.
It is easy to gripe about what is wrong about it all. I can’t ever imagine a perfect visual re-telling of HDM that doesn’t disappoint at some level… but, more important to see what is very right about it! I felt moved, shocked, excited and elated at all the right moments! Basically, I got onboard and allowed myself to enjoy the story.
And what a story! Northern Lights exists as a phenomenon on its merits, but The Subtle Knife is where the themes of this idea really take off! Almost a year to wait for the next season… All I can say is, what an opportunity to make this one of the best things BBC has ever done.
Too many debating points for a brief summary. Keep watching is all I would say to anyone. Or perhaps I just want it too much…
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