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Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway (2021)
Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway (2021)
2021 | Animation, Family
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.)
  
He Said/She Said
He Said/She Said
Erin Kelly | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry
10
8.4 (5 Ratings)
Book Rating
I have seen a lot of buzz once this book came out, and after reading it, I can freely say, this book is a bestseller, and it absolutely deserved it.

The main characters of this book were Laura, Kit and Beth. The way they met was very unusual; Laura and Kit witnessed Beth being raped (well, aftermath of it). The events after that, brings Laura and Beth really close, but suddenly some things start to happen, which put Laura and Kit into hiding. All the characters of this book are incredibly interesting, and have their very diverse and unique personality, that is why I absolutely adored that. My absolute favourite was Kit. He is this Oxford smart, but at the same time innocent, cute geek. The whole story was told from Laura’s and Kit’s perspectives, and they told this story beautifully, fulfilling each other. Even though, it is enough for Kit and Laura to tell it, I still wanted to hear the story from Beth’s perspective, I think it would’ve made this book absolutely perfect.

The plot of this book was absolutely fantastic. To tell the whole story, characters had to travel between present and the events, which took place fifteen years ago. This book has everything you need for a great thriller: there were unexpected twists and turns happening all the time, the suspense was very well kept throughout whole book, and it was really fast paced, which made it an intense page turner and was very hard to put down. Before reading this book, I was not very much into eclipses, but this book radiated the passion for eclipses so intensely, that I might even try and watch one this year.

I really loved the important topics Erin Kelly was discussing in this book: how hard to convince a rapist in the court of justice; how rape affects victims and rapists as well, especially if rapists are well known; how anxiety can affect people and their lives after certain events. This book is filled with interesting topics, situations and feelings.

As I mentioned before, this book grips you form first pages with very clever writing style, and keeps the suspense going on by drop feeding new information and new findings, plus add short chapters and you are hooked. Language itself is easy to read and understandable, quite relatable to any Londoner. The author kept the interest till the last sentence by throwing in more turns and twists, that’s why it is an absolute must read and I strongly recommend it to everyone.

Was given this book by publisher and NetGalley for honest review.
  
Unbreak My Heart (Fostering Love #1)
9
9.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
4.5 stars

I don't normally read reviews by others for books I'm about to start but I did with this one. A lot of the reviews were moaning about Shane and they stuck with me, so I'll admit I was a bit biased. Before that little rant starts, though...

This starts with Shane and his wife Rachel heading to see Kate sing and play her guitar in front of a small audience. Kate is Rachel's best friend and helps her look after her three children while Shane is overseas with the military. Tragedy strikes and Rachel dies a few weeks later, though the baby she was pregnant with at the time survives. One year later and it's the anniversary of her death and in a drunken mistake they sleep together. What follows is an emotional rollercoaster.

Now for a bit of a rant. Shane was very hard to like for the first 50% of the book. He was cruel and mean to Kate and I was ready to knee him in the balls. He wanted everything a certain way and if and when that didn't work he got angry and said mean things. Fair enough he regretted them later but just...no! I used about 6 tissues at one point around the 55% mark because it was just so unfair and I was a snotty red eyed mess so I put it down and went to bed. I'd become invested in them as a couple and he was making it very hard for it to happen. I do believe he redeemed himself enough by the end, though. He eventually realised how hurtful he'd been for years! and did everything he could to make it right. He explained himself more and did stuff to help her in ways that really mattered. He still effed up occasionally but they learned to talk to each other. It was really nice to read their relationship in the end.

I could probably have read it all in one sitting if I'd started it earlier in the day. It definitely dragged me in from the start - wondering how this rather mean main character was going to win over the girl he'd ignored for years.

I think it was really well written. We had all different aspects of their relationship from babysitter to lovers to husband and wife with many difficult moments in between. The family interactions were quite cute to watch. It certainly hit me in the feels and in my opinion; a book that makes me cry is a great book.
  
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (2017)
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (2017)
2017 | Sci-Fi
Where to begin with Luc Besson? The masterpiece of Leon aside, he is notorious for creating beautifully bonkers visual treats that twist and turn like a monkey on cocaine, making as much sense. This comic book adaptation starts well, with some jaw dropping CG design and a decent concept – it truly is a dreamscape of glorious colour and imagination rarely matched… but so is Tim Burton’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and we all know how awful that is.

He just doesn’t have the knack with story and character in the same way as he does with the visuals, often leaving you with the impression that even the actors are confused by what is going on, and why, and what the hell is coming out of their mouths as an excuse for dialogue.

I like Dane De Haan, he has shown a lot of promise in some valiant near misses, such as Chronicle, The Place Beyond the Pines and The Cure For Wellness – three films I enjoyed, with reservations, that were better for him being in them – but he has not quite made it to the A-list as yet. Here, opposite the gorgeously cute but somehow hollow presence Cara Delevingne, he is burdened by a love story with no chemistry and some cringe-worthy banter. As the film ultimately focuses and depends on the likability of this relationship it inevitably fails; melting into comic book kookiness that loses a lot in translation.

I almost found myself hating them and wishing they would die painfully so the film could end, but not quite as much as I hated how fundamentally terrible Clive Owen was as the villain – I mean, so awkward and awful it made how uncomfortable Harrison Ford seemed in Ender’s Game look like an Oscar worthy performance. Risible. Inexcusable. Inexplicable. But that’s Besson where let loose into the realm of full sci-fi.

One corner of joy was Rihanna as the shape-shifting Bubble, who showed a charm and talent for film acting I hadn’t quite expected, and how much fun Ethan Hawke had dressing up and hamming it up as Jolly, her pimp. But essentially, you’d be better off turning the sound off completely and just drinking in the spectrum of imaginative design on display. A film that may hold some cult status into the future, and one small children may get oddly addicted to, but as a functioning and satisfying cinematic story… just, no.
  
Sing (2016)
Sing (2016)
2016 | Animation, Comedy, Musical
The team that brought us “Despicable Me” and “Minions”‘- Illumination Entertainment, brings us the animated musical “SING”.

Buster Moon (voiced by Matthew McConaughey), has achieved his childhood dream of owning a theater. Business have become bleak, the once grand Moon Theater is in disrepair. With the bank ready to repo the property, in a stroke of desperation, Buster comes up with the idea that a singing competition would be the solution. Aided by his trusty assistant, Miss Crawley, Buster begins the audition to find the next big star.

The audition brings out all creatures great and small; from Meena, the shy elephant with the gift of song (voiced by the exceptionally talented Tori Kelly) to Mike, the mouse (voiced by Seth MacFarlane) a crooner who is out for himself. The rag-tag bunch includes Rosita (voiced by Reese Witherspoon), the stay at home mom who feels like she has lost who she was, paired with Gunther (voiced by Nick Kroll) the dancer with the greatest self image ever. Johnny (voiced by Taron Egerton) the dedicated son who does not want to go into the family business with his dad, who instead wants to sing. Rounding out the performers is Ash (voiced by Scarlett Johansson) the timid girl that breaks out into an angst-y rocker that just wants to play her music.

The story is cute and charming with some laugh-snort moments. We are given glimpses into the lives of each performer, providing us with the background on what motivates each to be in the competition. We also get some history of Buddy, how he came to own the theater, his best friend Eddie (voiced by John C. Reilly) and Eddie’s Grandmother (Older Nana – voiced by Jennifer Saunders, Younger Nana – voiced by Jennifer Hudson). The last third is the best part of the film. We finally see each performance where we were only given little glimpses prior. There are some surprising performances. I had no idea that Taron Egerton, who plays Johnny, the silverback(The Kingsmen, Eddie the Eagle) sings so beautifully. The highlight for me is when Tori Kelly (Meena) sings the Stevie Wonder tune “Don’t You Worry ‘Bout A Thing.” Her rendition lives on still as my earworm.

I was pleasantly surprised by the film, I definitely did not expect it to be quite as enjoyable. It’s not “Despicable Me” or” Minions”, it is a fun family movie that is worth watching that has laughs for the adults as well.
  
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