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Movie Metropolis (309 KP) rated Final Destination 5 (2011) in Movies
Jun 10, 2019 (Updated Jun 11, 2019)
Did we really need another Final Destination film? After the last, merely average movie, the answer on everyone’s lips was a firm and resounding no. However, a surprising return to form for the franchise has ensured that even this old goat has life in it yet.
Gone are the cheap, cheesy shocks that littered Final Destination 3 and 4. In their place are the genuine thrills and spills from the first two films. The movie returns the guessing game element to its audience and for that I am thoroughly grateful.
Newcomer Steven Quale helms this instalment which combines excellent 3D with fantastic special effects and a dazzling set of opening credits which showcase the deaths from the films that preceded it. I wasn’t expecting much from this film, I have to admit, but the credits really are a highlight as you try and remember which film each death is from.
As with any film in the Final Destination franchise, an epic opening disaster is the norm. Whilst the motorway pileup from Final Destination 2 has been the best up until now, the bridge collapse in this film is utterly mesmerising and edge of your seat thrilling. From the flawless special effects to the scale of the production, it surpasses anything seen before in the series.
The deaths have also returned to form too. Instead of out and out cheese, they’re shocking to the point of jaw-dropping. It’ll have you checking every loose nut and bolt from now on and probably have you resisting that fashionable laser eye surgery too. Thankfully though, away from the deaths, it errs on the side of humorous without delving into slapstick.
Nicholas D’Agosto leads a small cast as they try and find a way to cheat death after surviving that epic bridge disaster. An interesting storyline this time around has the cast told that they are able to cheat death by killing someone else, therefore having their life swapped with yours. The acting from all corners leaves a lot to be desired and the dialogue and performances are unashamedly wooden but this is a small point in a film that really does shock and surprise.
However, perhaps the best part of the film and the reason why it’s so enjoyable is the final twist, a twist that will leave you shouting at the screen in dismay. It’s practically impossible to see it coming until the last 5 minutes and in these last minutes you realise just how clever director Steven Quale has been in creating this film.
It may not be the most original movie to ever grace the big screen and the cast aren’t going to trouble the Oscars but Final Destination 5 returns a lifeless franchise to what it once was, bloody good fun and as such it is by far, the best in the series.
So, the question now is; do we need Final Destination 6?
https://moviemetropolis.net/2011/09/21/review-final-destination-5-2011/
Gone are the cheap, cheesy shocks that littered Final Destination 3 and 4. In their place are the genuine thrills and spills from the first two films. The movie returns the guessing game element to its audience and for that I am thoroughly grateful.
Newcomer Steven Quale helms this instalment which combines excellent 3D with fantastic special effects and a dazzling set of opening credits which showcase the deaths from the films that preceded it. I wasn’t expecting much from this film, I have to admit, but the credits really are a highlight as you try and remember which film each death is from.
As with any film in the Final Destination franchise, an epic opening disaster is the norm. Whilst the motorway pileup from Final Destination 2 has been the best up until now, the bridge collapse in this film is utterly mesmerising and edge of your seat thrilling. From the flawless special effects to the scale of the production, it surpasses anything seen before in the series.
The deaths have also returned to form too. Instead of out and out cheese, they’re shocking to the point of jaw-dropping. It’ll have you checking every loose nut and bolt from now on and probably have you resisting that fashionable laser eye surgery too. Thankfully though, away from the deaths, it errs on the side of humorous without delving into slapstick.
Nicholas D’Agosto leads a small cast as they try and find a way to cheat death after surviving that epic bridge disaster. An interesting storyline this time around has the cast told that they are able to cheat death by killing someone else, therefore having their life swapped with yours. The acting from all corners leaves a lot to be desired and the dialogue and performances are unashamedly wooden but this is a small point in a film that really does shock and surprise.
However, perhaps the best part of the film and the reason why it’s so enjoyable is the final twist, a twist that will leave you shouting at the screen in dismay. It’s practically impossible to see it coming until the last 5 minutes and in these last minutes you realise just how clever director Steven Quale has been in creating this film.
It may not be the most original movie to ever grace the big screen and the cast aren’t going to trouble the Oscars but Final Destination 5 returns a lifeless franchise to what it once was, bloody good fun and as such it is by far, the best in the series.
So, the question now is; do we need Final Destination 6?
https://moviemetropolis.net/2011/09/21/review-final-destination-5-2011/
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated The Hand on the Wall (Truly Devious #3) in Books
Mar 19, 2020
The finale to the Truly Devious trilogy does not disappoint. Stevie Bell believes she has solved the famous Truly Devious case. But she hasn't really told anyone yet. After all, yet another person is dead, someone else (whom she has kissed) has disappeared, and then another accident strikes Ellingham Academy. All while a giant snowstorm is about to hit the school. Stevie is sure everything is tied together--the deaths in the past, the deaths in the present. But it's finally too much for Ellingham. The school is being evacuated. Stevie is being sent home. It's over. So she makes the only rational choice. Time to stay at the school in the face of an insane storm--and a potential murderer.
Oh I love this series so very much. I highly recommend it. Stevie is such a wonderful character, filled with real flaws and amazing skills. Johnson's treatment of Stevie's anxiety across the trilogy is spot-on, and she just captures Stevie so perfectly. Her love of crime, her intelligence, her wit. It's impossible not to adore this girl.
Book three starts off with a bang--the format alternates between the present and parts of the past, depicting scenes involving the Truly Devious case that Stevie has worked so hard to solve. Filling in the pieces of that famous case--the disappearance of Albert Ellingham's wife and daughter. It works perfectly and it's captivating, finally finding out exactly what happened to Iris and Alice--and all the other players in the 1930s.
I don't want to say much more and spoil anything, except to say it was all perfect. Stevie and the cast of characters is great--I've come to care for so many of them now. And Johnson excels at having a diverse group in her books, which I love. The conclusion of the mystery is excellent; I was frantically flipping pages and caught on every word. The ending is quite fitting for a beloved series. 4.5 stars.
Oh I love this series so very much. I highly recommend it. Stevie is such a wonderful character, filled with real flaws and amazing skills. Johnson's treatment of Stevie's anxiety across the trilogy is spot-on, and she just captures Stevie so perfectly. Her love of crime, her intelligence, her wit. It's impossible not to adore this girl.
Book three starts off with a bang--the format alternates between the present and parts of the past, depicting scenes involving the Truly Devious case that Stevie has worked so hard to solve. Filling in the pieces of that famous case--the disappearance of Albert Ellingham's wife and daughter. It works perfectly and it's captivating, finally finding out exactly what happened to Iris and Alice--and all the other players in the 1930s.
I don't want to say much more and spoil anything, except to say it was all perfect. Stevie and the cast of characters is great--I've come to care for so many of them now. And Johnson excels at having a diverse group in her books, which I love. The conclusion of the mystery is excellent; I was frantically flipping pages and caught on every word. The ending is quite fitting for a beloved series. 4.5 stars.
Crimes of the Century: Women Killers
Book
Murder is a terrifying factor of everyday life, but when the perpetrator is a woman, it somehow...
Leanne Crabtree (480 KP) rated The Trouble with Twelfth Grave in Books
Jan 6, 2021
4.5 stars.
I finished book 11, Eleventh Grave in Moonlight, in September and decided that I had to have the last book before I started book 12 just so I could finish the series all at once. I now have it so here goes.
This starts with Charley at a client's house as she tells the whole ordeal of the past three days (since the events of the last book) to the little old lady beside her who thinks her house is haunted. Ever since Reyes went into the God glass in the last book and spent what could have been days in there before coming back out as Rey'azikeen, there have been deaths in the Albuquerque area - deaths that point to him as the culprit. Charley finally gets the gang together to tell them what happened and they try to come up with a plan to find out if it was Reyes and how to stop him or Michael and the angels will come to take him out.
As usual, this book is filled to the brim with Charley Davidson craziness. I absolutely love her but she is totally bonkers at times. She has an unusual way of thinking but it seems to always go her way anyway. It's ridiculous but so much of why I love this series. It is simply amazing. I can't recommend this series enough!
The books in this series are fairly short but the author manages to pack a lot into them. We had a murder investigation, a breaking and entering, some sexy times, a mob family, some creepy sounding wraiths and quite a lot more too. I can't go into too much detail as it will spoil it for everyone.
I do love the characters in this. Charley and Reyes have grown a lot over the last eleven books and I'm waiting with baited breath to start the last book to see where the series has been building up to after all this time. Off to start book 13!
I finished book 11, Eleventh Grave in Moonlight, in September and decided that I had to have the last book before I started book 12 just so I could finish the series all at once. I now have it so here goes.
This starts with Charley at a client's house as she tells the whole ordeal of the past three days (since the events of the last book) to the little old lady beside her who thinks her house is haunted. Ever since Reyes went into the God glass in the last book and spent what could have been days in there before coming back out as Rey'azikeen, there have been deaths in the Albuquerque area - deaths that point to him as the culprit. Charley finally gets the gang together to tell them what happened and they try to come up with a plan to find out if it was Reyes and how to stop him or Michael and the angels will come to take him out.
As usual, this book is filled to the brim with Charley Davidson craziness. I absolutely love her but she is totally bonkers at times. She has an unusual way of thinking but it seems to always go her way anyway. It's ridiculous but so much of why I love this series. It is simply amazing. I can't recommend this series enough!
The books in this series are fairly short but the author manages to pack a lot into them. We had a murder investigation, a breaking and entering, some sexy times, a mob family, some creepy sounding wraiths and quite a lot more too. I can't go into too much detail as it will spoil it for everyone.
I do love the characters in this. Charley and Reyes have grown a lot over the last eleven books and I'm waiting with baited breath to start the last book to see where the series has been building up to after all this time. Off to start book 13!
Lindsay (1717 KP) rated The Black Midnight (True Crime #7) in Books
Aug 4, 2020
If you are a history lover and enjoy England, you will enjoy this book. Well, you will get a bit of a tour of London. Though we start in Austin, Texas. We are introduced to every strong Pinkerton detective and her partner. We seem to have unsolved murders in Texas. But our detectives seem to be quite busy otherwise while chasing down a killer.
Will Annie and her partner Isaiah solve the murders in Austin and London? Will they find the killer that is killing women in their beds in Austin and the connection with the killing in London? The queen seems to want her great-granddaughter to look into them with her friend from Texas.
The pages will make you want to read until the last page. You will be on your toes and turning or sliding your pages up reading until the end. Is the killer Jack the Ripper, or is it someone else? You will be trying to guess and figure out along with the Pinkerton detectives in their investigations.
I felt like I was investigating along with them trying to find the killer of the mysterious deaths. You do get pulled into experience the London along the way. Who or What is the Black Midnight? Is the Midnight Assassin the same person as The Black Midnight or Jack the Ripper?
All fans of historical fiction and crime will love this book and the series. It had me wanting more. It is in does go into details about investigations but not a lot into the deaths of killings. This is good in that way. What does the Prince want with his daughter? Why is he trying to bring his daughter home? Who is Annie Walters? Will she give herself away? What up with Cameron Blake and his reporting. Some entertaining story plots are going on. We go on as adventure with this one.
Will Annie and her partner Isaiah solve the murders in Austin and London? Will they find the killer that is killing women in their beds in Austin and the connection with the killing in London? The queen seems to want her great-granddaughter to look into them with her friend from Texas.
The pages will make you want to read until the last page. You will be on your toes and turning or sliding your pages up reading until the end. Is the killer Jack the Ripper, or is it someone else? You will be trying to guess and figure out along with the Pinkerton detectives in their investigations.
I felt like I was investigating along with them trying to find the killer of the mysterious deaths. You do get pulled into experience the London along the way. Who or What is the Black Midnight? Is the Midnight Assassin the same person as The Black Midnight or Jack the Ripper?
All fans of historical fiction and crime will love this book and the series. It had me wanting more. It is in does go into details about investigations but not a lot into the deaths of killings. This is good in that way. What does the Prince want with his daughter? Why is he trying to bring his daughter home? Who is Annie Walters? Will she give herself away? What up with Cameron Blake and his reporting. Some entertaining story plots are going on. We go on as adventure with this one.
Chris Hooker (419 KP) rated Ship Ablaze:The Tragedy of the Steamboat General Slocum in Books
Dec 30, 2017
A Timely Tale
This was a good book about a little known tragedy. The General Slocum was a steamer that traveled on the rivers that surrounded New York City. Often these ships were used by groups for excursions to the shore or picnic areas up river. On June 15, 1904 a German church group had booked passage. It was mainly women and children.
As the book title suggest the worst thing that could happen on a ship did when it caught on fire. The early 1900's were still a time of corruption and profit over safety. This helped lead to the deaths of over 1,000 people.
The story in this book is a timely warning to us as safety laws are rolled back for profits. It was a well written and researched tale. We need to heed the warnings of our past so as not to repeat them with larger tragedies.
As the book title suggest the worst thing that could happen on a ship did when it caught on fire. The early 1900's were still a time of corruption and profit over safety. This helped lead to the deaths of over 1,000 people.
The story in this book is a timely warning to us as safety laws are rolled back for profits. It was a well written and researched tale. We need to heed the warnings of our past so as not to repeat them with larger tragedies.
Shaun Collins (3 KP) rated James Bond, Vol. 1: VARGR in Books
Jan 12, 2018
Confession time... I've never read an Ian Fleming James Bond novel.
Don't hate me. They're on the list.
But I have seen all the films, so when Dynamite announced they were doing a Bond comic, I figured I'd give it a go. All in all, not to bad. An enjoyable, if pedestrian Bond plot, with all the trappings to make it Bond. Brutal deaths, sly jokes, cool weapons, sexual innuendo, and everything blows up at the end. What more could you want?
I liked the art work, although it was a bit graphic for a Bond film, this is obviously a "dark and gritty" reboot style telling. And that's fine, just expect that when you go in. Bond looks more like Sterling Archer than Daniel Craig, and that's also fine, since Craig isn't at the top of my Bond list anyway. In fact, none of the characters are drawn to represent anyone specific, so separate continuity and all that.
I hoped for more, but wasn't disappointed.
Don't hate me. They're on the list.
But I have seen all the films, so when Dynamite announced they were doing a Bond comic, I figured I'd give it a go. All in all, not to bad. An enjoyable, if pedestrian Bond plot, with all the trappings to make it Bond. Brutal deaths, sly jokes, cool weapons, sexual innuendo, and everything blows up at the end. What more could you want?
I liked the art work, although it was a bit graphic for a Bond film, this is obviously a "dark and gritty" reboot style telling. And that's fine, just expect that when you go in. Bond looks more like Sterling Archer than Daniel Craig, and that's also fine, since Craig isn't at the top of my Bond list anyway. In fact, none of the characters are drawn to represent anyone specific, so separate continuity and all that.
I hoped for more, but wasn't disappointed.
Sarah (126 KP) rated The Sinner - Season 2 in TV
Feb 18, 2019
After being disappointed by the first season, I was curious as to what the second could possibly about - but looked forward to hopefully finding out more about Bill Pullman's character, Detective Harry Ambrose.
A different town, a different killer and another mystery that goes far beyond the deaths that we see in the first episode. Sadly, I still got the same feeling of "oh, that's it?" when it was all over.
Once again, the story comes to us via the medium of flashbacks, and, once again, the characters are just so unlikable.
We catch glimpses of Ambrose's past and are treated to flashbacks of, for instance, interactions between the "mother and son" who are the main focus of this investigation - but where you never really find out what the actual point of these scenes was.
I really do love a good crime thriller - sadly, this show just isn't the one for me.
A different town, a different killer and another mystery that goes far beyond the deaths that we see in the first episode. Sadly, I still got the same feeling of "oh, that's it?" when it was all over.
Once again, the story comes to us via the medium of flashbacks, and, once again, the characters are just so unlikable.
We catch glimpses of Ambrose's past and are treated to flashbacks of, for instance, interactions between the "mother and son" who are the main focus of this investigation - but where you never really find out what the actual point of these scenes was.
I really do love a good crime thriller - sadly, this show just isn't the one for me.
Kevin Wilson (179 KP) rated Smiley (2012) in Movies
Jul 23, 2018
The ending couldn't save the rest of the movie (3 more)
Cliche plot you have seen before
Bad acting
Annoying characters
The internet's bloody mary
This was a terrible movie
Bloody mary meets unfriended? It feels like a typical supernatural slasher you have seen plenty of times.
None of the characters are likeable, if anything they are actually annoying right from the first start especially the main girl. Again there is no logic, it's not creepy or gory and I found it just boring.
Don't get me wrong I love urban legends when it is done right.
The killer was not designed well, not shown enough and not creepy enough. Only a few deaths that were not scary or gory.
I couldn't wait for this movie to end but I'm happy I watched it so that you don't have to. It was paced horribly and even a good twist at the end couldn't save this movie.
Bloody mary meets unfriended? It feels like a typical supernatural slasher you have seen plenty of times.
None of the characters are likeable, if anything they are actually annoying right from the first start especially the main girl. Again there is no logic, it's not creepy or gory and I found it just boring.
Don't get me wrong I love urban legends when it is done right.
The killer was not designed well, not shown enough and not creepy enough. Only a few deaths that were not scary or gory.
I couldn't wait for this movie to end but I'm happy I watched it so that you don't have to. It was paced horribly and even a good twist at the end couldn't save this movie.