Search
Search results
Phillip McSween (751 KP) rated Dog Days (2018) in Movies
May 15, 2021
Cheesy but Solid
Dog Days revolves around a number of moving parts stories that shows the strength of relationships between people and man’s best friend.
Acting: 10
Beginning: 5
Typically with stories like these that have a number of different characters sharing screen time, it really can be a challenge to get the film off to a hot start as you introduce everyone. Ten minutes in, I wasn’t completely sold on the film, but it was enough for me to say, “What the hell? I’ll give it a shot.” Not bad, but not great.
Characters: 8
Again, moving parts stories introduce a lot of characters and it’s hard to try and get people to care about everyone. While I wasn’t invested in everyone all of the time, there were plenty of moments where I cared about the character’s outcome. There were certain characters I cared about a lot more than others like the coffee shop girl and the shelter owner.
Cinematography/Visuals: 7
Conflict: 6
This is a family film, very much meant to be light-hearted. While Disney has somehow found a way of perfecting having conflict while keeping things light, Dog Days suffered a bit more in that respect. Maybe it’s the fact that you know everything is going to work itself out in the end. Then again, you kind of know that for most movies, but it’s that drive of conflict that really makes things seem dire and leave you wondering for a bit. Not the case with Dog Days.
Entertainment Value: 10
Not going to lie, this movie really had me invested from beginning to end. It’s funny, endearing, and you get to see a bunch of cute dogs. Not going to win any academy awards, but it’s a fun movie I would recommend for any family. I didn’t leave the theater thinking I had wasted my time. It was more of a, “Wow, that was surprisingly fun.”
Memorability: 9
Pace: 10
The 113-minute runtime definitely doesn’t feel like it. Sometimes having a number of storylines can confuse the audience, but I managed to follow along at an easy pace. There are no bumps, it’s pretty smooth sailing from beginning to end.
Plot: 5
Resolution: 9
Overall: 79
I can think of countless family movies that would be a better use of your two hours than Dog Days. However, for what it is, the movie does the trick. It’s undeniably cute and pretty darn entertaining. Even better if you’re a dog lover. For all of it’s cheesiness, it’s pretty solid overall.
Acting: 10
Beginning: 5
Typically with stories like these that have a number of different characters sharing screen time, it really can be a challenge to get the film off to a hot start as you introduce everyone. Ten minutes in, I wasn’t completely sold on the film, but it was enough for me to say, “What the hell? I’ll give it a shot.” Not bad, but not great.
Characters: 8
Again, moving parts stories introduce a lot of characters and it’s hard to try and get people to care about everyone. While I wasn’t invested in everyone all of the time, there were plenty of moments where I cared about the character’s outcome. There were certain characters I cared about a lot more than others like the coffee shop girl and the shelter owner.
Cinematography/Visuals: 7
Conflict: 6
This is a family film, very much meant to be light-hearted. While Disney has somehow found a way of perfecting having conflict while keeping things light, Dog Days suffered a bit more in that respect. Maybe it’s the fact that you know everything is going to work itself out in the end. Then again, you kind of know that for most movies, but it’s that drive of conflict that really makes things seem dire and leave you wondering for a bit. Not the case with Dog Days.
Entertainment Value: 10
Not going to lie, this movie really had me invested from beginning to end. It’s funny, endearing, and you get to see a bunch of cute dogs. Not going to win any academy awards, but it’s a fun movie I would recommend for any family. I didn’t leave the theater thinking I had wasted my time. It was more of a, “Wow, that was surprisingly fun.”
Memorability: 9
Pace: 10
The 113-minute runtime definitely doesn’t feel like it. Sometimes having a number of storylines can confuse the audience, but I managed to follow along at an easy pace. There are no bumps, it’s pretty smooth sailing from beginning to end.
Plot: 5
Resolution: 9
Overall: 79
I can think of countless family movies that would be a better use of your two hours than Dog Days. However, for what it is, the movie does the trick. It’s undeniably cute and pretty darn entertaining. Even better if you’re a dog lover. For all of it’s cheesiness, it’s pretty solid overall.
SlideShow Maker with Music
Photo & Video and Lifestyle
App
Turn your photos into outstanding video stories! Create, edit and share amazing slideshows with your...
Pony Sisters Pop Music Band
Games and Education
App
Help your virtual pony friends Rosie, Zoe, Britney, Rainbow and a new group member Molly look...
Movie Critics (823 KP) rated Beauty and the Beast (2017) in Movies
Apr 14, 2017
Remake of ‘Beauty and the Beast’ convincingly springs to life
Critic Review by Ann Hornaday- Washington Post
Original rating: 3 out of 4
Full review: https://www.washingtonpost.com/goingoutguide/movies/remake-of-beauty-and-the-beast-convincingly-springs-to-life/2017/03/16/9022737c-05bf-11e7-ad5b-d22680e18d10_story.html?utm_term=.dd812aa47337
Excerpt:
This “Beauty and the Beast” isn’t predicated on starry-eyed romance or animal attraction, but the solace of mutual loss and understanding, which makes it all the sweeter. Although the Beast is an entirely digital creation, based in part on Jean Cocteau’s groundbreaking 1946 film, Stevens imbues his hauteur and fanged hostility with pathos and arch humor. Joining Heathcliff and Mr. Rochester as yet another handsome dude in a bad mood, Stevens’s Beast provides the right kind of foil for Watson’s spirited, courageous heroine, who in one of two seriously frightening sequences fights off a snarling pack of wolves. The blink-and-you’ll-miss-it meet-cute moment for two gay characters is part of this “Beauty and the Beast’s” larger sense of expansiveness, wherein exteriors fall away, inner essences come to the fore and true love ensues.
And what in this big, boffo, ball-gowned world could be wrong with that?
Original rating: 3 out of 4
Full review: https://www.washingtonpost.com/goingoutguide/movies/remake-of-beauty-and-the-beast-convincingly-springs-to-life/2017/03/16/9022737c-05bf-11e7-ad5b-d22680e18d10_story.html?utm_term=.dd812aa47337
Excerpt:
This “Beauty and the Beast” isn’t predicated on starry-eyed romance or animal attraction, but the solace of mutual loss and understanding, which makes it all the sweeter. Although the Beast is an entirely digital creation, based in part on Jean Cocteau’s groundbreaking 1946 film, Stevens imbues his hauteur and fanged hostility with pathos and arch humor. Joining Heathcliff and Mr. Rochester as yet another handsome dude in a bad mood, Stevens’s Beast provides the right kind of foil for Watson’s spirited, courageous heroine, who in one of two seriously frightening sequences fights off a snarling pack of wolves. The blink-and-you’ll-miss-it meet-cute moment for two gay characters is part of this “Beauty and the Beast’s” larger sense of expansiveness, wherein exteriors fall away, inner essences come to the fore and true love ensues.
And what in this big, boffo, ball-gowned world could be wrong with that?
Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated The Red Red Car in Books
Apr 27, 2018
The red RED car is not just called red because of the color of his paint—he’s red with anger. He never follows the rules and always does what he wants. That gets him into trouble one day when he tries to be in a race. The red RED car gets hurt and goes to the hospital, and decides that he needs to change, and he works hard on controlling his anger. Then once he masters his anger, he wins every race.
The message in The Red RED Car was clear and very important for kids—anger is hurtful to others as well as to you.
I thought The Red RED car was really cute and showed anger for what it was: ugly and scary. The illustrations were very colorful and energetic, perfect for the book.
The only part I didn’t like was the fact that when the car got hurt he “heard voices” (his own voice in his head telling him it was his own fault that he lost) and fell unconscious, and that seems just a little odd for a children’s book.
Recommendation: Ages 4-8
to see this review with images, go here:
http://haleymathiot.blogspot.com/2009/12/review-red-red-car.html
The message in The Red RED Car was clear and very important for kids—anger is hurtful to others as well as to you.
I thought The Red RED car was really cute and showed anger for what it was: ugly and scary. The illustrations were very colorful and energetic, perfect for the book.
The only part I didn’t like was the fact that when the car got hurt he “heard voices” (his own voice in his head telling him it was his own fault that he lost) and fell unconscious, and that seems just a little odd for a children’s book.
Recommendation: Ages 4-8
to see this review with images, go here:
http://haleymathiot.blogspot.com/2009/12/review-red-red-car.html
RPGMP3 (211 KP) rated Exploding Kittens in Tabletop Games
Apr 20, 2018
Nice Art (1 more)
Funny Theme
Not Very Replayable (1 more)
Mostly Luck
Not Enough Game
I really wanted to like Exploding Kittens. I Kickstartered the original. I bought the expansion hoping things would be better. Sadly, under the theme and the cute funny art, there really isn't much of a game here. Now it sits under other things in my small games closet and the large box for the expansion gets in the way when I am moving things around.
When people come over to play games, this is one of the games they always pull out wanting to try and this is always one of the games I try very hard to persuade them to put back into the dark corner of the gaming closet. When I first played it I though the art was nice and the theme was fun and I hoped I had missed something about the gameplay. But over time, as more people pull it out of the game closet and I am unable to persuade them otherwise I realize that there is very little here at all to make this game re-playable unless you are totally blind drunk - which I guess may be the point.
Hey - at least I don't have to wear rubber crab claws for this one.
When people come over to play games, this is one of the games they always pull out wanting to try and this is always one of the games I try very hard to persuade them to put back into the dark corner of the gaming closet. When I first played it I though the art was nice and the theme was fun and I hoped I had missed something about the gameplay. But over time, as more people pull it out of the game closet and I am unable to persuade them otherwise I realize that there is very little here at all to make this game re-playable unless you are totally blind drunk - which I guess may be the point.
Hey - at least I don't have to wear rubber crab claws for this one.
Alex Tollefson (3 KP) rated Brown-Eyed Girl in Books
Apr 5, 2019
Not the Trashy Romance I Expected
Contains spoilers, click to show
Very few romance titles these days seem to be anything other than sex scenes and awkward in between dialouge. Which may be fine for some. But I prefer a story with characters that actually feel real in a setting that doesn't seem so cliche. And, preferably, I'd like the non-sex parts to be almost as interesting as the sex parts.
I didn't start this book thinking I'd finish it in one sitting, but here we are. Somehow, the main character, Avery, managed to pull me. I was invested in her. And in Joe, even though I admit a few cliches were spent on him. Their dynamic was fun but not rapey (like he tells her their first time that she only need say the word and he'll stop no matter what- which, sure, shouldn't need to be said, but still), supportive without being overbearing. The only thing I take away Points for is that the plot was not super complicated and parts felt disjointed at time, and I wanted a longer ending. Don't get me wrong, the puppy proposal was cute. But I felt like their should've been a chapter or two more before the epilouge.
I recommend this title to anyone looking for a good, simple read.
I didn't start this book thinking I'd finish it in one sitting, but here we are. Somehow, the main character, Avery, managed to pull me. I was invested in her. And in Joe, even though I admit a few cliches were spent on him. Their dynamic was fun but not rapey (like he tells her their first time that she only need say the word and he'll stop no matter what- which, sure, shouldn't need to be said, but still), supportive without being overbearing. The only thing I take away Points for is that the plot was not super complicated and parts felt disjointed at time, and I wanted a longer ending. Don't get me wrong, the puppy proposal was cute. But I felt like their should've been a chapter or two more before the epilouge.
I recommend this title to anyone looking for a good, simple read.
BTPBookclub (18 KP) rated The Lido in Books
May 11, 2019
Uplifting. Beautiful story
There are not enough words to describe this story, but here’s a few; uplifting, comforting, friendship, community, beautiful, joyful, kind, tender, charming and a feel good novel. That should be enough right?
I had my head in this book and didn’t want to leave it or put it down. I was a part of that community with them the whole time, I was their friend and welcomed. I truelly devoured this story and sad that I finished it. It is a stunning debut. A must read if you haven’t already. One you won’t forget.
I loved the whole community within the book. The friendships, the bonds, the stories they tell and lastly how they always stuck together and fought together till the end. My heart was with them the whole time. A beautiful lot of characters, especially Kate and Rosemary they had such a cute and amazing unexpected relationship. I think they both needed each other to be honest. I loved them all.
Beautifully written. I cannot recommend this story enough. A must buy. A well deserved five stars from me and it’s got to have a place in my top twenty of the year. Beautiful. Amazing. Outstanding. Absolutely loved every minute of it.
I had my head in this book and didn’t want to leave it or put it down. I was a part of that community with them the whole time, I was their friend and welcomed. I truelly devoured this story and sad that I finished it. It is a stunning debut. A must read if you haven’t already. One you won’t forget.
I loved the whole community within the book. The friendships, the bonds, the stories they tell and lastly how they always stuck together and fought together till the end. My heart was with them the whole time. A beautiful lot of characters, especially Kate and Rosemary they had such a cute and amazing unexpected relationship. I think they both needed each other to be honest. I loved them all.
Beautifully written. I cannot recommend this story enough. A must buy. A well deserved five stars from me and it’s got to have a place in my top twenty of the year. Beautiful. Amazing. Outstanding. Absolutely loved every minute of it.
Nicole Hadley (380 KP) rated Fish-Boy in Books
Jun 18, 2018
Fish-Boy: An Inuit Folk Tale by Vanita Oelschlager is very cute story with colorful and delightful illustrations. In this story, an old Inuit man tells the story of Fish Boy. The Arctic region of North America is a land of long days, icy cold, hardy people and peculiar creatures. The Inuit people there have made traditional use of remarkable folk tales to find truth and explain the mysteries of an astonishing world.
In Fish-Boy, An Inuit Folk Tale, Vanita Oelschlager retells a tale passed down by a wise old Inuit. It's an origin story involving a little magic and a very odd boy with a large heart for friendship. On a journey with his new father, he must confront misfortune and the malice of cold hearted villagers. But he has a way and a lesson for all in the virtues of kindness and hospitality.
This book as it teaches kindness and a folk tale about a region that covers most of Canada. It can be used as a tool to teach children about folk tells and about different cultures and acceptance.
I received this ARC from Vanita Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I give this book 4/5 stars.
In Fish-Boy, An Inuit Folk Tale, Vanita Oelschlager retells a tale passed down by a wise old Inuit. It's an origin story involving a little magic and a very odd boy with a large heart for friendship. On a journey with his new father, he must confront misfortune and the malice of cold hearted villagers. But he has a way and a lesson for all in the virtues of kindness and hospitality.
This book as it teaches kindness and a folk tale about a region that covers most of Canada. It can be used as a tool to teach children about folk tells and about different cultures and acceptance.
I received this ARC from Vanita Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I give this book 4/5 stars.
Caffeinated Fae (464 KP) rated Things Fall Apart in Books
Jul 10, 2018
I received this book as part of a book exchange for my book club. I was excited because it finally gave me a reason to read a book that has been on my "I should read this" list. I finished this book and I honestly have no idea what my thoughts are. I'm trying to put them into words and I'm failing.
I liked this book for the multicultural issues that it proposes. It had elements that I have never grasped or read before which I enjoyed. I loved learning about the culture and customs of this tribe. I also loved how complex the main character was. I loved how at moments you're wanting him to be shunned and at other moments you want him to be fully embraced by his tribe.
I didn't like how abrupt the ending was. It was leading to the climax of the story and then just halted leaving me extremely unsatisfied. I want a resolution and I want a cookie cutter ending where everything is wrapped up tight with a cute little bow. Unfortunately, that isn't this book.
All in all, I'm happy that I read this book. I'm thrilled that I finally found time to read it. I'm just not so sure how I feel about it either.
I liked this book for the multicultural issues that it proposes. It had elements that I have never grasped or read before which I enjoyed. I loved learning about the culture and customs of this tribe. I also loved how complex the main character was. I loved how at moments you're wanting him to be shunned and at other moments you want him to be fully embraced by his tribe.
I didn't like how abrupt the ending was. It was leading to the climax of the story and then just halted leaving me extremely unsatisfied. I want a resolution and I want a cookie cutter ending where everything is wrapped up tight with a cute little bow. Unfortunately, that isn't this book.
All in all, I'm happy that I read this book. I'm thrilled that I finally found time to read it. I'm just not so sure how I feel about it either.