Search
Search results
Phil Leader (619 KP) rated The Written (Emaneska #1) in Books
Nov 29, 2019
Ben Galley is a fantasy author and staunch defender of independent publishing. The Written is his first book, and the first in The Emaneska trilogy.
I have to say I was expecting some fairly standard sword and sorcery tale here, a bit of magic, a few fabulous beasts slain, the usual wise grey beards and prophecies. As a first book that would have definitely been the safe option, and would still have been a good read.
Needless to say this isn't what you get. You get a slew of mythical creatures - dragons (I suspect only the Pern novels exceed the sheer number in this book), werewolves and more besides. You get heroes and villains. You get magic. You get sword fights. But all of these are put together in a way that's different from the norm. Rather than trying to subvert all the fantasy tropes it is as if Galley dropped them and they smashed and in putting them back together they aren't quite the same as they were before.
The basic story concerns the theft of a spell book which, in the wrong hands, can be used to summon a mighty and powerful evil. Farden, one of the Written (a sort of magic user that has spells tattooed onto his back) has to try to prevent this happening. I won't give any more details as there are many twists and turns as the story unfolds.
Farden is a powerful mage and a tough fighter and although he is heoric he also has personal demons that could cause his mission to fail. He is a loner with little patience for others. He doubts his own abilities and judgement. As the reader you feel you want to give him a good shaking sometimes to get him to act. This makes him a very complex character, realistic and interesting to follow. The other main characters are also fully realised with their own mannerisms and momentum.
Galley takes his time describing the world and there is a feeling of real depth and history, perhaps not on the same scale as Tolkien but the comparison is apt. Clearly Galley has spent considerable time putting this world together and is rightly proud of the results.
He takes his time with descriptions, each of the many locations vividly worded and memorable. The action scenes (of which there are a fair number) crack along at a breathless pace although possibly a little overwritten at times (allowable when there is so much to try to convey to the reader I think).
As the first of a trilogy of books this obviously leaves the story open for the sequel at the end, but it is a satisfying conclusion and there is no doubt that the first part of Farden's journey is complete but that there is much more - and probably harder - to come.
Really the only criticism I have is that occasionally - at the start and then a small part about half way through - the writing perhaps isn't up to the standard of the rest, which I think is because this is a first novel. And the standard of the rest of the writing to so high this really is a niggle.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes their fantasy fast and interesting. It's a long book and a good book. And even better, it's free to download so what is stopping you?
I have to say I was expecting some fairly standard sword and sorcery tale here, a bit of magic, a few fabulous beasts slain, the usual wise grey beards and prophecies. As a first book that would have definitely been the safe option, and would still have been a good read.
Needless to say this isn't what you get. You get a slew of mythical creatures - dragons (I suspect only the Pern novels exceed the sheer number in this book), werewolves and more besides. You get heroes and villains. You get magic. You get sword fights. But all of these are put together in a way that's different from the norm. Rather than trying to subvert all the fantasy tropes it is as if Galley dropped them and they smashed and in putting them back together they aren't quite the same as they were before.
The basic story concerns the theft of a spell book which, in the wrong hands, can be used to summon a mighty and powerful evil. Farden, one of the Written (a sort of magic user that has spells tattooed onto his back) has to try to prevent this happening. I won't give any more details as there are many twists and turns as the story unfolds.
Farden is a powerful mage and a tough fighter and although he is heoric he also has personal demons that could cause his mission to fail. He is a loner with little patience for others. He doubts his own abilities and judgement. As the reader you feel you want to give him a good shaking sometimes to get him to act. This makes him a very complex character, realistic and interesting to follow. The other main characters are also fully realised with their own mannerisms and momentum.
Galley takes his time describing the world and there is a feeling of real depth and history, perhaps not on the same scale as Tolkien but the comparison is apt. Clearly Galley has spent considerable time putting this world together and is rightly proud of the results.
He takes his time with descriptions, each of the many locations vividly worded and memorable. The action scenes (of which there are a fair number) crack along at a breathless pace although possibly a little overwritten at times (allowable when there is so much to try to convey to the reader I think).
As the first of a trilogy of books this obviously leaves the story open for the sequel at the end, but it is a satisfying conclusion and there is no doubt that the first part of Farden's journey is complete but that there is much more - and probably harder - to come.
Really the only criticism I have is that occasionally - at the start and then a small part about half way through - the writing perhaps isn't up to the standard of the rest, which I think is because this is a first novel. And the standard of the rest of the writing to so high this really is a niggle.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes their fantasy fast and interesting. It's a long book and a good book. And even better, it's free to download so what is stopping you?
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated Salt (Salt, #1) in Books
Jan 23, 2020
I never thought I'd actually find the time to read Salt. Actually, I was hesitant (mainly due to the fact I have 10+ books on le review queue)... even though I really wanted to read it because it seemed like a really good book.
I kind of gave in. I didn't regret it either, which would be second worse case scenario next to a DNF. And that would actually suck.
I'm probably Salt deprived though, and I don't mean SODIUM CHLORIDE, as much as like salty snacks. Yum.
In other words, I LOVED this book. I believe I may have "met" my next favorite author.
Do allow me to name the whys. Actually, my thoughts. Warning: there may be gushing. I hope no one minds. *fangirls* There might be a lot too. And it's in a list. Certainly not 13. That's saved for Friday the 13th. Which is in June if anyone cares.
~ It's official. I like characters with a lot of voice. Or maybe it's just a lot of sass. That tends to be a pattern.
~ WITCHES! Even better. Need I say more? I like witchy books as much as I like retellings and mythology. No wonder I loved Harry Potter. And yes, I like witches better than vampires. Sorry Vampire Academy.
~ Tis very action packed my friends. Despite the fact I took awhile to finish it. I was preoccupied with other books. Salt couldn't be crammed into le reading schedule.
~ Daemon Black, you have extreme competition. I apparently like Carter WAY better than you. He's less annoying, even though he's practically an alter ego. Maybe it's the fact that Carter is a witch. *hardly contains jumping up and down while typing* Mom, you saw no big smile on my face. Oh yeah, and let's just add that he's hot (Carter. Not Daemon. Though he is. Sort of? I am not a Daemon fan).
~ This is like Divergent and Hunger Games put together. Witch style. No killing required. Although maybe a few humans and demons were killed in the process. And I like both of those series... although I didn't really like Allegiant.
~ Like I said, I'm Salt deprived. Can someone fast forward time so I can read the second book?
~ I'm also Penelope and Carter deprived. Please, people, don't go come up with couple names like Carlope or Peneter. Couple names are so old. And definitely not cute anymore. O_o Yes, it will make them less cuter if anyone dares to add couple names. *cringe*
~ I'm going to go recommend this to a certain friend of mine. Just so I won't be alone with the gushing. Although I don't mind being the only one. I'll just say I'm talking about Funyuns. :D How do you spell that again?
Nope, definitely no regret in deciding to review Salt when offered. No regrets at all. I think it's really obvious. *walks away with a completely cheesy grin* Anyone want cheesecake? :D?
-------------------
ARC copy provided by EntangledTeen for review
Formatting and pictures have been removed due to copy and paste.
This review and more posted at <a href="http://bookwyrming-thoughts.blogspot.com/2014/01/arc-review-salt-by-danielle-ellison.html">Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
<img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Gi5Rk5yLloA/UtliaUbdL3I/AAAAAAAACbE/J27z92_qrYU/s1600/Official+Banner.png"; />
I kind of gave in. I didn't regret it either, which would be second worse case scenario next to a DNF. And that would actually suck.
I'm probably Salt deprived though, and I don't mean SODIUM CHLORIDE, as much as like salty snacks. Yum.
In other words, I LOVED this book. I believe I may have "met" my next favorite author.
Do allow me to name the whys. Actually, my thoughts. Warning: there may be gushing. I hope no one minds. *fangirls* There might be a lot too. And it's in a list. Certainly not 13. That's saved for Friday the 13th. Which is in June if anyone cares.
~ It's official. I like characters with a lot of voice. Or maybe it's just a lot of sass. That tends to be a pattern.
~ WITCHES! Even better. Need I say more? I like witchy books as much as I like retellings and mythology. No wonder I loved Harry Potter. And yes, I like witches better than vampires. Sorry Vampire Academy.
~ Tis very action packed my friends. Despite the fact I took awhile to finish it. I was preoccupied with other books. Salt couldn't be crammed into le reading schedule.
~ Daemon Black, you have extreme competition. I apparently like Carter WAY better than you. He's less annoying, even though he's practically an alter ego. Maybe it's the fact that Carter is a witch. *hardly contains jumping up and down while typing* Mom, you saw no big smile on my face. Oh yeah, and let's just add that he's hot (Carter. Not Daemon. Though he is. Sort of? I am not a Daemon fan).
~ This is like Divergent and Hunger Games put together. Witch style. No killing required. Although maybe a few humans and demons were killed in the process. And I like both of those series... although I didn't really like Allegiant.
~ Like I said, I'm Salt deprived. Can someone fast forward time so I can read the second book?
~ I'm also Penelope and Carter deprived. Please, people, don't go come up with couple names like Carlope or Peneter. Couple names are so old. And definitely not cute anymore. O_o Yes, it will make them less cuter if anyone dares to add couple names. *cringe*
~ I'm going to go recommend this to a certain friend of mine. Just so I won't be alone with the gushing. Although I don't mind being the only one. I'll just say I'm talking about Funyuns. :D How do you spell that again?
Nope, definitely no regret in deciding to review Salt when offered. No regrets at all. I think it's really obvious. *walks away with a completely cheesy grin* Anyone want cheesecake? :D?
-------------------
ARC copy provided by EntangledTeen for review
Formatting and pictures have been removed due to copy and paste.
This review and more posted at <a href="http://bookwyrming-thoughts.blogspot.com/2014/01/arc-review-salt-by-danielle-ellison.html">Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
<img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Gi5Rk5yLloA/UtliaUbdL3I/AAAAAAAACbE/J27z92_qrYU/s1600/Official+Banner.png"; />
Neon's Nerd Nexus (360 KP) rated A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (2019) in Movies
Feb 2, 2020 (Updated Feb 2, 2020)
Hello Neighbor
A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood is an inspiring and delightful film about a man that was oh so smart and oh so pleasant. I just want to say from the start what an absolute joy this film was to watch, there was something so warm and wonderful there constantly that kept my full attention the entire time and when it ended I almost felt sad there wasnt more of it. Tom Hanks plays Fred Rogers aka Mr Rogers as hes known by most. An intriguing man who is almost investigated/interrogated by writer Lloyd Voge who has many troubles of his own. Hanks transforms seamlessly into Rogers with all his mannerisms replicated flawlessly even down to whats going on behined his eyes. Rogers may seem like theres something more sinister behined him at times but truth is he had a troubled past too and while maybe not a war veteran its almost as if you can see signs of depression or ptsd behined those eyes from the way he was treated in his youth of from the general weight of his job. But its the way the way hes learnt to deal with his anger, frustrations and demons thats so fascinating and how he manages to keep stong/humble so he can teach other children to overcome the harshness of life and the dark times they may face ahead of them thats trully inspiring and commendable. Llyods transformation during the film is also depicted amazingly too, hes so troubled hes almost beyond help, struggling with such emotions as grief, hatred and stress hes seemingly stuck on an ever declining path of sadness. That is until he meets rogers and the on screen interactions between these two are the absolute bread and butter to watch here as rogers uses his philosophy and good nature to help him find happiness in himself once again. See the thing is adults tend to dismiss anything they consider 'childish' but more often than not these so called childish things they dismiss contain more answers, escapism and advise for our problems than anything else be it by nostalgia, wisdom or philosophy or simple innocence. I loved how the tv show scenes felt so nostalgic that you could swear they were filmed way back in the past and the choice to use a different aspect ratio for them was smart. Its odd to say but theres definitely a subbtle element of horror and creepiness I found here too especially with some of the almost fever dream type scenes which worked extreamly well and broke up the film nicely. Lastly I would say if you are planning to see this be prepared to cry as its not only incredibly heartfelt it also constantly deals with very depressing subject matter too. So many times I found It depicted problems, situations, feelings and nostalgia to things that I have faced in my own life leading to me to tear up like it was speaking specifically to only me as I questioned my own life, feelings, relationships and decisions in my head. A splendid film that teaches us how life is to short to waste time on anger/hate and that we should instead spend and cherish the time we have here with the ones we love before its to late.
Night Reader Reviews (683 KP) rated The Dark Prince: The Beginning in Books
Jan 10, 2020
Honest Review for Free Copy of Book
The Dark Prince by Kyle Jackson contains elves, both dark, and light (but not the kind that helps Santa), can be found as main characters in this story. There are also dwarves, gods, dragons, and fae. Demons from the lower planes even make large appearances at various times.
The first book in The Dark Prince series introduces readers to Prince Lexxendae Tal’ Dier, a half-dark elf and half demi-god. His mother is Xeron, a demi-goddess exiled to the mortal plane by the other gods due to her being cruel to humans. She ends up marrying the King of the dark elves and gives him three sons. Price Lexxendae is the eldest of the three princes but he wars with his other evil personality. With the help of Segromor, a necromancer, and a friend of his father, Lexxendae learns how to create a mental barrier to hold back his evil side.
Xeron frames Lexxendae for the murder of his father in an attempt to get Lexxendae out of her way in her quest for more power. Segromor saves Lexxendae and sets him on a great quest for a legendary weapon that can kill a god. While Lexxendae is on his journey and making some surprising new friends his brothers are reluctantly teaming up to fight a new evil that threatens the entire island. Xeron is slowly losing her mind and questioning her choices in turning away or destroying everyone who cared about her and tried to get close to her. Meanwhile, on the realm of the gods they are watching all this unfold on their human children and some are starting to talk of rebelling.
What I liked best was that while I thought the story would drop Lex’s mother in favor of Lex himself I was surprised to find it just branched off instead. Lex’s mother played an important role in the entire story. Also seeing what the Gods were thinking about regarding the events playing out on Earth was interesting. Even though the Gods sent Lex’s mother to Earth they still regularly watched her instead of just leaving the humans to our fate. What I did not like all that much was once Lex’s brothers go to war the book seriously begins to drag. Lex’s journey keeps its pace nicely yet the rest of the book seems to lose its speed. There were also numerous places where the tense of words was so wrong that it was extremely obvious, even to me.
The target readers for this book are teens and young adults who enjoy fantasy. Even though the story is about a Prince it is not a mushy love story in any way and it will interest most anyone. There is one minor sex scene that readers should be aware of. Overall I give this book a rating of 3 out of 4. This book contains all the elements of most fantasy stories. The plotline is strong while multiple branches are being told at the same time. The war slowing down the pace of the book and the errors that even I noticed is why I did not give the book a perfect score.
https://www.facebook.com/nightreaderreviews
The first book in The Dark Prince series introduces readers to Prince Lexxendae Tal’ Dier, a half-dark elf and half demi-god. His mother is Xeron, a demi-goddess exiled to the mortal plane by the other gods due to her being cruel to humans. She ends up marrying the King of the dark elves and gives him three sons. Price Lexxendae is the eldest of the three princes but he wars with his other evil personality. With the help of Segromor, a necromancer, and a friend of his father, Lexxendae learns how to create a mental barrier to hold back his evil side.
Xeron frames Lexxendae for the murder of his father in an attempt to get Lexxendae out of her way in her quest for more power. Segromor saves Lexxendae and sets him on a great quest for a legendary weapon that can kill a god. While Lexxendae is on his journey and making some surprising new friends his brothers are reluctantly teaming up to fight a new evil that threatens the entire island. Xeron is slowly losing her mind and questioning her choices in turning away or destroying everyone who cared about her and tried to get close to her. Meanwhile, on the realm of the gods they are watching all this unfold on their human children and some are starting to talk of rebelling.
What I liked best was that while I thought the story would drop Lex’s mother in favor of Lex himself I was surprised to find it just branched off instead. Lex’s mother played an important role in the entire story. Also seeing what the Gods were thinking about regarding the events playing out on Earth was interesting. Even though the Gods sent Lex’s mother to Earth they still regularly watched her instead of just leaving the humans to our fate. What I did not like all that much was once Lex’s brothers go to war the book seriously begins to drag. Lex’s journey keeps its pace nicely yet the rest of the book seems to lose its speed. There were also numerous places where the tense of words was so wrong that it was extremely obvious, even to me.
The target readers for this book are teens and young adults who enjoy fantasy. Even though the story is about a Prince it is not a mushy love story in any way and it will interest most anyone. There is one minor sex scene that readers should be aware of. Overall I give this book a rating of 3 out of 4. This book contains all the elements of most fantasy stories. The plotline is strong while multiple branches are being told at the same time. The war slowing down the pace of the book and the errors that even I noticed is why I did not give the book a perfect score.
https://www.facebook.com/nightreaderreviews
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…
Lovestruck Choose Your Romance
Games, Entertainment and Stickers
App
Lovestruck is your portal to the greatest interactive romance stories! Your happily ever after may...
Kill the Father
8.5
Rate It
Book
'The rock cast a sharp, dark shadow over a shape huddled on the ground. Please don't let it be the...
Charlie Cobra Reviews (1840 KP) rated Doom Patrol in TV
Jul 4, 2020
Not Your Average Superhero Show - 7/10
Doom Patrol Is a 2019 action/sci-fi, comedy/drama superhero TV series based on the DC comic created by writers Arnold Drake and Bob Haney and artist Bruno Premiani. It was developed by Jeremy Carver, and produced by DC Entertainment and Warner Bros. Television for DC Universe. Doom Patrol is a spin-off of Titans, a superhero TV series also on DC Universe. Starring Brendan Fraser, Timothy Dalton, Alan Tudyk, Matt Bomer and April Bowlby.
Doom Patrol picks up after the events of Titans, and finds the titular heroes in the town of Cloverton, Ohio. However they are a long, long way from being anything resembling heroes. The group consisting of Robotman/Clifford "Cliff" Steele (Brendan Fraser), Negative-man/Larry Trainor (Matt Bomer), Elasti-woman/Rita Farr (April Bowlby) and Crazy Jane/Kay (Diane Guerrero) are taken in by Chief/Dr. Niles Caulder (Timothy Dalton).
They each have suffered horrible accidents that have left them scarred or disfigured but also imbued them with superpowers. They have come together in Doom Manor under the guidance of Dr. Caulder to try and overcome their own demons. However when the good Dr. leaves the manor, a quick venture into the town for the team has far-reaching consequences. An enemy called Mr. Nobody (Alan Tudyk) comes to exact revenge and takes the doctor and everyone in the town with him. Luckily they are left with a possible new member and old friend of the doctor, who has come to check on the town and him, Cyborg (Jovian Wade) from Titans.
This show is really weird and definitely not for everyone. I didn't have the opportunity to watch the Titans show before this, so I don't know how much it affects it in anyway or if it's in the same vein. I also never read the Doom Patrol comics. It didn't seem to me like there was a clear plot at first but the writers are definitely going for a unique and captivating way of grabbing the audience. It's also rated TV-MA and it feels like they're kind of going for that Deadpool audience and a dark humor comedy feel. That being said it's not terrible, it really grows on you. To me the first episode was kind of hit or miss but by the second episode it really pulls you in. The characters motivations and backgrounds are very unique and emotionally appealing. The general atmosphere of the show was kind of all over the place; I mean it's a little bit drama, a little bit action, sometimes slightly horror and kind of gory and a superhero element on top of all all of it, plus sci-fi.
There is a pretty exclusively entertaining character, the narrator/villain Mr. nobody who is played by Alan Tudyk. He is very funny and charismatic and isn't afraid to break the fourth wall, right away in the beginning of the first episode. I guess it's a pretty good show but not for everyone, I would give it a 7/10.
Doom Patrol picks up after the events of Titans, and finds the titular heroes in the town of Cloverton, Ohio. However they are a long, long way from being anything resembling heroes. The group consisting of Robotman/Clifford "Cliff" Steele (Brendan Fraser), Negative-man/Larry Trainor (Matt Bomer), Elasti-woman/Rita Farr (April Bowlby) and Crazy Jane/Kay (Diane Guerrero) are taken in by Chief/Dr. Niles Caulder (Timothy Dalton).
They each have suffered horrible accidents that have left them scarred or disfigured but also imbued them with superpowers. They have come together in Doom Manor under the guidance of Dr. Caulder to try and overcome their own demons. However when the good Dr. leaves the manor, a quick venture into the town for the team has far-reaching consequences. An enemy called Mr. Nobody (Alan Tudyk) comes to exact revenge and takes the doctor and everyone in the town with him. Luckily they are left with a possible new member and old friend of the doctor, who has come to check on the town and him, Cyborg (Jovian Wade) from Titans.
This show is really weird and definitely not for everyone. I didn't have the opportunity to watch the Titans show before this, so I don't know how much it affects it in anyway or if it's in the same vein. I also never read the Doom Patrol comics. It didn't seem to me like there was a clear plot at first but the writers are definitely going for a unique and captivating way of grabbing the audience. It's also rated TV-MA and it feels like they're kind of going for that Deadpool audience and a dark humor comedy feel. That being said it's not terrible, it really grows on you. To me the first episode was kind of hit or miss but by the second episode it really pulls you in. The characters motivations and backgrounds are very unique and emotionally appealing. The general atmosphere of the show was kind of all over the place; I mean it's a little bit drama, a little bit action, sometimes slightly horror and kind of gory and a superhero element on top of all all of it, plus sci-fi.
There is a pretty exclusively entertaining character, the narrator/villain Mr. nobody who is played by Alan Tudyk. He is very funny and charismatic and isn't afraid to break the fourth wall, right away in the beginning of the first episode. I guess it's a pretty good show but not for everyone, I would give it a 7/10.
BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated The Little Things (2021) in Movies
Feb 1, 2021
3 Strong Actors Elevate This Above Mediocrity
Generally, when a movie is “dumped” in January, it is a sure sign of a bad film, filled with Liam Neeson kicking butt or CGI monsters attacking a small group of survivors in an isolated location, but these being times that they are, Warner Brothers release of THE LITTLE THINGS simultaneously in Movie Theaters and on HBO MAX gave me reason to change my thinking.
And…I’m glad I did for THE LITTLE THINGS is an intriguing mystery with 3 very strong actors going toe-to-toe with each other.
Written and Directed by John Lee Hancock (THE BLIND SIDE), THE LITTLE THINGS stars the great Denzel Washington as a former L.A. Detective (now a Sherriff in some small town) who returns to L.A. and teams up with his hot shot replacement (Rami Malek) to track down a serial killer (the main suspect being Jared Leto).
It is a moody, atmospheric piece with Hancock taking his time telling the story he wants to tell in the way he wants to tell it, letting this trio of Oscar winning actors take over the story while he creates interesting, moody pictures/scenarios/scenes.
And…this approach mostly works. 2 time Oscar winner Denzel Washington, as you can imagine, is terrific as Joe “Deke” Deacon a cracker-jack Detective that is living with some demons from his last case in L.A.. He is in 90% of the scenes in this film and he is more than capable of carrying this film through some pretty slow and sloggy scenes.
I would love to say that Oscar winner Rami Malek is equal to the task of playing against Washington and keeping the middle part of this film interesting - but he just isn’t. Not to say that Malek is bad - he is very good. He just isn’t as good as Washington and the chemistry between these two characters was just not all that strong.
That said…without spoiling anything…Malek has a scene at the end of this film where he is TERRIFIC and shows that he is a VERY, VERY good actor.
The wild card in this film is Oscar winner Jared Leto as the prime suspect in this case - and he is more than up to the task. As is often the case in these sorts of film (think David Fincher’s SEVEN), Leto does not show up in full force until about 2/3 of the way through the film and that is too bad for he creates sparks on the screen the moment he enters the proceedings and the 3 way interrogation scene between these 3 Oscar winners is, I’m sure, what drew all 3 of these performers to this project and is the best thing in the film.
The praise and the criticism of this film must fall on Writer/Director Hancock, for he was smart enough to cast these 3 actors and direct them well while also falling prey to falling in love too much with the script and atmosphere he created to the detriment of the film. He could have used someone telling him to speed things up.
Letter Grade: B
7 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank (ofMarquis)
And…I’m glad I did for THE LITTLE THINGS is an intriguing mystery with 3 very strong actors going toe-to-toe with each other.
Written and Directed by John Lee Hancock (THE BLIND SIDE), THE LITTLE THINGS stars the great Denzel Washington as a former L.A. Detective (now a Sherriff in some small town) who returns to L.A. and teams up with his hot shot replacement (Rami Malek) to track down a serial killer (the main suspect being Jared Leto).
It is a moody, atmospheric piece with Hancock taking his time telling the story he wants to tell in the way he wants to tell it, letting this trio of Oscar winning actors take over the story while he creates interesting, moody pictures/scenarios/scenes.
And…this approach mostly works. 2 time Oscar winner Denzel Washington, as you can imagine, is terrific as Joe “Deke” Deacon a cracker-jack Detective that is living with some demons from his last case in L.A.. He is in 90% of the scenes in this film and he is more than capable of carrying this film through some pretty slow and sloggy scenes.
I would love to say that Oscar winner Rami Malek is equal to the task of playing against Washington and keeping the middle part of this film interesting - but he just isn’t. Not to say that Malek is bad - he is very good. He just isn’t as good as Washington and the chemistry between these two characters was just not all that strong.
That said…without spoiling anything…Malek has a scene at the end of this film where he is TERRIFIC and shows that he is a VERY, VERY good actor.
The wild card in this film is Oscar winner Jared Leto as the prime suspect in this case - and he is more than up to the task. As is often the case in these sorts of film (think David Fincher’s SEVEN), Leto does not show up in full force until about 2/3 of the way through the film and that is too bad for he creates sparks on the screen the moment he enters the proceedings and the 3 way interrogation scene between these 3 Oscar winners is, I’m sure, what drew all 3 of these performers to this project and is the best thing in the film.
The praise and the criticism of this film must fall on Writer/Director Hancock, for he was smart enough to cast these 3 actors and direct them well while also falling prey to falling in love too much with the script and atmosphere he created to the detriment of the film. He could have used someone telling him to speed things up.
Letter Grade: B
7 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank (ofMarquis)
Interludes Box Set
10.0
Rate It
Book
Temporary Home Sometimes past demons need to be faced before one can embrace what the future...
Contemporary Erotic Romance Men in Uniform MultiCultural