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Ross (3284 KP) rated Life (2017) in Movies
Dec 27, 2017 (Updated Dec 27, 2017)
This film doesn't do anything new, before you start watching it you know you've seen in a number of times. Team in space pick up a sample from Mars hoping to find proof of life on it. There then follows a number of ridiculous character acts and decisions that in no way feel realistic, believable or plausible. Experts in space just would not do any one of those things, let alone a chain of such stupid decisions that lead inevitably to disaster.
This film seemed to want to focus on the science early on and there was a lot of gobbledigook meant to make us realise that the actions of humans would be the cause of any alien unpleasantness. From there on its a case of the alien working its way through the crew one by one.
The alien itself was slightly different to your usual in the beginning, a blob of jelly with tentacles and feelers, but quickly just became a naughty octopus.
The ending, while not exactly a shocker, was a brave decision and one that rescued the film somewhat.
Overall, I have no idea why the decent cast signed up to this film, other than the money spent on zero-gravity replication there seems to have been nothing to attract them to it. I would expect to see this at 2am on the Sy-Fy channel, not one of the big hitting Christmas films on Sky Movies.
This film seemed to want to focus on the science early on and there was a lot of gobbledigook meant to make us realise that the actions of humans would be the cause of any alien unpleasantness. From there on its a case of the alien working its way through the crew one by one.
The alien itself was slightly different to your usual in the beginning, a blob of jelly with tentacles and feelers, but quickly just became a naughty octopus.
The ending, while not exactly a shocker, was a brave decision and one that rescued the film somewhat.
Overall, I have no idea why the decent cast signed up to this film, other than the money spent on zero-gravity replication there seems to have been nothing to attract them to it. I would expect to see this at 2am on the Sy-Fy channel, not one of the big hitting Christmas films on Sky Movies.
Sam (74 KP) rated The Slippery Slope (A Series of Unfortunate Events #10) in Books
Mar 27, 2019
The Klaus and Violet Baudelaire are running out of time. They’re rolling down a slope, soon to crash, while Olaf and his troupe take Sunny somewhere unknown. Using Klaus’s bookishness and Violets inventiveness, they save themselves from disaster yet again, but now must save their sister and find out more about the mysterious VFD.
This one was really suspenseful. There was always something fast-paced happening, meaning that yet again within a couple of hours it had been read!
Finally, some of the mysteries surrounding the Baudelaires are being unravelled in this one, which I’m grateful has finally happened. Since there’s thirteen books in the whole series, I expected it to be soon but was still glad that some of my questions were answered.
This one isn’t as comedic as a lot of the ones that came before it. I feel like as the mysteries unfold, the novels are going to get less comedic and more serious. It’s a nice change from the usual plot and structure, and it still left enough little bits of comedy in it to keep it entertaining.
I love some of the characters who are revealed in this one (not saying who because spoilers), and found them much needed.
Olaf is becoming more and more sinister and less comedic which makes the plot brilliant. To be able to see the shift in his behaviour and see his desperation build up as I make it to the finale is making me run for the next book.
This one was really suspenseful. There was always something fast-paced happening, meaning that yet again within a couple of hours it had been read!
Finally, some of the mysteries surrounding the Baudelaires are being unravelled in this one, which I’m grateful has finally happened. Since there’s thirteen books in the whole series, I expected it to be soon but was still glad that some of my questions were answered.
This one isn’t as comedic as a lot of the ones that came before it. I feel like as the mysteries unfold, the novels are going to get less comedic and more serious. It’s a nice change from the usual plot and structure, and it still left enough little bits of comedy in it to keep it entertaining.
I love some of the characters who are revealed in this one (not saying who because spoilers), and found them much needed.
Olaf is becoming more and more sinister and less comedic which makes the plot brilliant. To be able to see the shift in his behaviour and see his desperation build up as I make it to the finale is making me run for the next book.
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Avengers: Infinity War (2018) in Movies
May 24, 2019 (Updated May 24, 2019)
Comic book perfection
It's a moment all comic movie fans have been waiting for - all these beloved characters in one film - and Infinity War delivers on so many levels.
With such a huge roster of well established characters, being played by so many A-List actors, it's an absolute marvel (excuse the pun) how the Russo Brothers manage to pull it off with such aplomb, with every hero being on screen for the right amount of time - it's quite incredible.
On top of all of the reliable heroes throughout, IW also properly introduces us to Thanos, who has been teased several times in the past, and he is a incredibly well realised big villain - you see where he's coming from, he's relatable, and still utterly terrifying and ruthless in how he relentlessly chases what he wants, no matter how much he loses in the process.
The CGI and motion capture used to create him is pretty flawless, and Josh Brolins booming voice completes the package.
The battle scenes are slick and tight and flow smoothly with the rest of the film - the humour is on point throughout - the scenes shared between members of the Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy are so so great - it's hard to think of anything I didn't love about IW.
And just to top it all off, IW delivers an absolute gut punch of an ending, delivering the single biggest disaster to happen so far in the MCU.
As far as comic book movies go, I can't think how this will ever be beaten. A true epic.
With such a huge roster of well established characters, being played by so many A-List actors, it's an absolute marvel (excuse the pun) how the Russo Brothers manage to pull it off with such aplomb, with every hero being on screen for the right amount of time - it's quite incredible.
On top of all of the reliable heroes throughout, IW also properly introduces us to Thanos, who has been teased several times in the past, and he is a incredibly well realised big villain - you see where he's coming from, he's relatable, and still utterly terrifying and ruthless in how he relentlessly chases what he wants, no matter how much he loses in the process.
The CGI and motion capture used to create him is pretty flawless, and Josh Brolins booming voice completes the package.
The battle scenes are slick and tight and flow smoothly with the rest of the film - the humour is on point throughout - the scenes shared between members of the Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy are so so great - it's hard to think of anything I didn't love about IW.
And just to top it all off, IW delivers an absolute gut punch of an ending, delivering the single biggest disaster to happen so far in the MCU.
As far as comic book movies go, I can't think how this will ever be beaten. A true epic.
Dianne Robbins (1738 KP) rated Adrift (2018) in Movies
May 25, 2019
Confusing (1 more)
Grim
Contains spoilers, click to show
You are immediately thrown into the action of Tami coming to after being tossed about below deck from the hurricane. Had I not been reading a play-by-play on IMDB, I might have been more confused than I was but I was intrigued by what I read so I wanted to see how it all played out onscreen. I would have preferred to see the hurricane shown because I'm a fan of disaster films, but instead, we are shown the aftermath and flashbacks of the couple's first meeting and the romance that followed. I would also have liked to see more of the actual rescue and her telling her story to the Japanese sailors and/or people in Hawaii when she was taken to the island instead of brief and vague glimpses of it.
The doldrums of trying to survive aboard a broken vessel and all the boredom of hours upon hours of being adrift is shown.
The acting is decent enough.
There is very little excitement to hold one's interest. I was disappointed that in the movie but it wasn't my story to tell. This is based on the true story of Tami Oldham Ashcraft, who is listed as one of the writers and is shown briefly at the end of the movie.
It's not great. Reading about the actual story online is more satisfying. I am curious about Ashcraft's book but it's probably as boring as the movie.
The doldrums of trying to survive aboard a broken vessel and all the boredom of hours upon hours of being adrift is shown.
The acting is decent enough.
There is very little excitement to hold one's interest. I was disappointed that in the movie but it wasn't my story to tell. This is based on the true story of Tami Oldham Ashcraft, who is listed as one of the writers and is shown briefly at the end of the movie.
It's not great. Reading about the actual story online is more satisfying. I am curious about Ashcraft's book but it's probably as boring as the movie.
A detailed look into the world of forensic pathology.
I don’t read a lot on non-fiction and when I do it is rarely an autobiography or memoir but when I happened to see Unnatural Causes I decided to jump in and hopefully get a better understanding of a profession so often touched on in my beloved crime thriller books. I didn’t regret it for a second.
Dr Richard Shepherd, as one of the UK’s top forensic pathologists, has performed over 23,000 postmortems; that’s a lot of dead bodies! Fascinated by cracking the puzzle of what killed each one this book covers a whole host of unusual cases. Clearing up many misconceptions of the world of forensic pathology we get a great insight into a job few people could stomach.
As he covers many interesting cases we get a unique behind the curtain look into some famous murders and disasters. Shipman, Stephen Lawrence, the Hungerford massacre, the Marchioness disaster, he is even involved in Diana’s inquest. The look into the very difficult area of the death of babies shows a complicated area where everything is not as black and white as we’d like it to be.
His single minded quest for the truth and the very distressing nature of his work takes a toll on his mental health and family life. Although not as fascinating as the cases themselves it’s important to cover this, bring into sharp focus the debt society owes to those willing to surround themselves in such a grim profession.
Dr Richard Shepherd, as one of the UK’s top forensic pathologists, has performed over 23,000 postmortems; that’s a lot of dead bodies! Fascinated by cracking the puzzle of what killed each one this book covers a whole host of unusual cases. Clearing up many misconceptions of the world of forensic pathology we get a great insight into a job few people could stomach.
As he covers many interesting cases we get a unique behind the curtain look into some famous murders and disasters. Shipman, Stephen Lawrence, the Hungerford massacre, the Marchioness disaster, he is even involved in Diana’s inquest. The look into the very difficult area of the death of babies shows a complicated area where everything is not as black and white as we’d like it to be.
His single minded quest for the truth and the very distressing nature of his work takes a toll on his mental health and family life. Although not as fascinating as the cases themselves it’s important to cover this, bring into sharp focus the debt society owes to those willing to surround themselves in such a grim profession.
Sarah (7800 KP) rated Adrift (2018) in Movies
Jul 10, 2018
A very sad true story
I hadn't read many good reviews for this film so I honestly hadn't been expecting much, but it is actually quite good.
The film works well as it doesn't follow a linear narrative which would've been a little boring. Instead it opts to throw us straight into the immediate aftermath of the disaster, but flashing back to the couple and how they met, and how they came to be at sea. It also helps that Shailene Woodley is a great actress and very engaging and believable. This film wouldn't have worked half as well without her in it. Sam Claflin is perhaps a tad underused and I think there parts of this that maybe go a tad overboard (sorry) on the romance side. The effects may be slightly dodgy at times but the scenes at sea and in the aftermath are so harrowing and disturbing enough that it takes your mind off everything else. There is also a small "twist" in this which even I didn't see coming, which was quite refreshing. My only criticism is that despite it's short run time, the film does drag in a few parts and most of this run time is spent either on the boat or in flashbacks. Very little time is given to the ending so it feels a bit rushed and not quite wrapped up properly.
Overall though a very good and heartwrenching true story. Definitely one that could put you off sailing for life!
The film works well as it doesn't follow a linear narrative which would've been a little boring. Instead it opts to throw us straight into the immediate aftermath of the disaster, but flashing back to the couple and how they met, and how they came to be at sea. It also helps that Shailene Woodley is a great actress and very engaging and believable. This film wouldn't have worked half as well without her in it. Sam Claflin is perhaps a tad underused and I think there parts of this that maybe go a tad overboard (sorry) on the romance side. The effects may be slightly dodgy at times but the scenes at sea and in the aftermath are so harrowing and disturbing enough that it takes your mind off everything else. There is also a small "twist" in this which even I didn't see coming, which was quite refreshing. My only criticism is that despite it's short run time, the film does drag in a few parts and most of this run time is spent either on the boat or in flashbacks. Very little time is given to the ending so it feels a bit rushed and not quite wrapped up properly.
Overall though a very good and heartwrenching true story. Definitely one that could put you off sailing for life!
Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated Pinocchio (1940) in Movies
Dec 5, 2019
An Actor's Life For Me
Pinocchio- was the second animated feature film produced by Disney, made after the first animated success Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937).
The Plot- When the woodworker Geppetto (Christian Rub) sees a falling star, he wishes that the puppet he just finished, Pinocchio (Dickie Jones), could become a real boy. In the night, the Blue Fairy (Evelyn Venable) grants Geppetto's wish and asks Jiminy Cricket (Cliff Edwards) to serve as the wooden boy's conscience. But the naive and trusting Pinocchio falls into the clutches of the wicked Honest John (Walter Catlett), who leads him astray to the sinful Pleasure Island.
Critical analysis of Pinocchio identifies it as a simple morality tale that teaches children of the benefits of hard work and conventional values. Although it became the first animated feature to win a competitive Academy Award – winning two for Best Music, Original Score and for Best Music, Original Song for "When You Wish Upon a Star" – it was initially a box office disaster, due to World War II. It eventually made a profit in its 1945 reissue, and is considered one of the greatest animated films ever made, with a 100% rating on the website Rotten Tomatoes.
All the songs are great and fanstastic, classics and you remember till this day. When You Wish Upon a Star, Little Wooden Head, Give A Little Whistle, Hi-Diddle-Dee-Dee and I've Got No Strings. All classics and all excellent.
A must watch film.
The Plot- When the woodworker Geppetto (Christian Rub) sees a falling star, he wishes that the puppet he just finished, Pinocchio (Dickie Jones), could become a real boy. In the night, the Blue Fairy (Evelyn Venable) grants Geppetto's wish and asks Jiminy Cricket (Cliff Edwards) to serve as the wooden boy's conscience. But the naive and trusting Pinocchio falls into the clutches of the wicked Honest John (Walter Catlett), who leads him astray to the sinful Pleasure Island.
Critical analysis of Pinocchio identifies it as a simple morality tale that teaches children of the benefits of hard work and conventional values. Although it became the first animated feature to win a competitive Academy Award – winning two for Best Music, Original Score and for Best Music, Original Song for "When You Wish Upon a Star" – it was initially a box office disaster, due to World War II. It eventually made a profit in its 1945 reissue, and is considered one of the greatest animated films ever made, with a 100% rating on the website Rotten Tomatoes.
All the songs are great and fanstastic, classics and you remember till this day. When You Wish Upon a Star, Little Wooden Head, Give A Little Whistle, Hi-Diddle-Dee-Dee and I've Got No Strings. All classics and all excellent.
A must watch film.
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