
b.Young (97 KP) rated Apocalypticon in Books
Jun 1, 2018
Apocalypticon is a story of two friends in Chicago that somehow survived M-Day, the day the monkey shaped missiles were launched from Jamaica to destroy most of the inhabitants of Earth, only to pack up 3 years later and make a whirlwind trip to visit Disney World, of all places.
Along the way, Patrick and Ben come across some very colorful survivors like Violet, a woman who runs the only bridge out of town like a restaurant: hostess stand, bus boys, wine and all; an Amtrak Captain who happens to be the only one left in the country, that is obsessed with keeping a schedule he never can seem to keep; a futune teller that warns Patrick of his fate; a couple of religious cults, each morbidly twisted in their own way; zombie-like creatures called Runners that snorted their way into the realm of the semi-undead; a gun-toting chick that thinks that the Runners can be cured; and journalist who is trying to make sense of why certain people survived the decimation of 98% of the world's population.
Now, don't get me wrong, there were plenty of action scenes where people and things got effed up, but not so much of the blood and gore that typically goes along with genre.
I surprised myself by actually laughing out loud while reading this...several times, I might add.
I recommend Apocalypticon to anyone who enjoys a good apocalypse story and can accept the hilarity of the situation at hand.

LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Maleficent: Mistress of Evil (2019) in Movies
Oct 20, 2019
The narrative is a little faffy to begin with, as it establishes the story, introducing us to new characters, and re-introducing us to others.
But once it gets going, it easily manages to re capture everything that was good about the first film.
Angelina Jolie, Elle Fanning, and Sam Riley are Greta as they were before, and newer characters played by the likes of Warwick Davis, Ed Skrein, Robert Lindsay, and Chiwetel Ejiofor all have their place and fit alongside everyone else nicely.
Michelle Pfeiffer is also a fun villain , starting off as a thorn in the side and evolving into full mad queen by the end.
The expiration of the larger world surrounding Maleficent is a nice route to take for the most part. There are some pacing issues around the mid section, and sometimes it feels like Maleficent is sidelined in favour of other it strands.
These are minor annoyances though, as the film heads towards it's hugely entertaining finale.
The third act is fantastic. The action is thrilling, the visuals are stunning, and the stakes actually feel quite high. It plays out at times like a PG version of The Red Wedding!
The CGI throughout is top quality, and much like the first, the various settings seen throughout feel fully realised and vivid.
Mistress of Evil is a sequel that perhaps didn't need to happen, but I'm glad that it did, and the two films together stand head and shoulders above any other live action adaption that Disney have put out in recent years.

Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated The Nutcracker and the Four Realms (2018) in Movies
Jul 2, 2019
Clara is given a gift for Christmas that requires a one of a kind key. To find this key she must follow a piece of string that leads her into a world full of magic and mystery but is in a state of disrepair. Along the way she meets many different characters who want to help her find the key and restore harmony within the lands.
The film in its entirety is visually stunning and equally entertaining. In a way, the film sort of reminds me of Alice In Wonderland as it has a very Tim Burtone-sque feel to it. The star studded cast made the film that much better. It was lovely seeing Mackenzie Foy all grown up, the beautiful Keira Knightly with her somewhat annoying high pitched character voice, Morgan Freeman and Dame Helen Mirren’s amazing acting and Misty Copeland’s beautiful dancing just to name a few.
It is certainly refreshing to see a new twist on a classic story. I am pleased that they didn’t do away with the dancing along with the most familiar score listened to during the holidays. The CG sets were amazing with bold colors that made the film very visually appealing. It encapsulates an entertaining and adventurous story along with humor and excellent acting. In my book, that is the perfect recipe for a great film. I look forward to adding this one to my ever growing movie collection.

Tim McGuire (301 KP) rated Stone (2010) in Movies
Jan 21, 2020

Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Winnie the Pooh (2011) in Movies
Aug 7, 2019
As with most of the stories in the series, Winnie the Pooh is on an adventure in search of his favorite tasty treat: honey. As he begins scouring the woods for honey, he runs into his friend, the depressed donkey, Eeyore. Eeyore’s tail has gone missing and so begins the contest, to see which one of the 100 Acre Woods residents can come up with the best solution for a new tail for Eeyore. The prize, to Winnie the Pooh’s excitement, is a pot of honey! While they are on the hunt to help Eeyore find a new tail, the gang realizes that Christopher Robin has been kidnapped by a terrifying creature called the “Backson.”
With a run time of just over an hour, I was very impressed with the amount of substance this movie had. I was very glad that Disney stayed true to the way I remembered these characters from my childhood. The movie is instantly engaging with the story beginning in Christopher Robin’s bedroom and continues on by capturing the creative magic of being a child. Many people will probably write this movie off, due to its simplicity, however sometimes it’s the simple things in life that can provide such a wealth of charm, fun and beauty.

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