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Ryan Hill (152 KP) rated Iron Man 3 (2013) in Movies

May 10, 2019 (Updated May 10, 2019)  
Iron Man 3 (2013)
Iron Man 3 (2013)
2013 | Action, Sci-Fi
RDJ as Tony Stark/Iron man Don Cheadle as Rhodey Tony's ptsd storyline The final battle Tony and Rhodey's bromance Harley keener (0 more)
Humour and drama is off balance Mandarin twist isn't well executed Female characters are underused (0 more)
"i am iron man 2.0"
Marking the commencement of the second phase of Marvel Cinematic Universe after the first one culminated with The Avengers, Iron Man 3 presents a definite improvement over its insufferably insipid predecessor but it still falls short of the magical experience that was the first Iron Man film. However, it does carry a new energy & has a refreshing vibe to it, thanks to the new director at helm.

Iron Man 3 continues the story of Tony Stark who's recovering from post-traumatic stress caused by the events of The Avengers. Unable to sleep & genuinely afraid of losing what he loves, Stark's life is turned upside down after he issues a threat to a radical terrorist who retaliates by destroying his personal world, leaving him far more vulnerable than ever before & forcing him to rebuild from the scratch.

Co-written & directed by Shane Black, Iron Man 3 really benefits from a fresh perspective & is an enjoyable ride for the most part but is also marred by its attempt to try out way too many things at once, out of which only a few work out in a convincing manner. Technical aspects are finely executed for its Cinematography favours a slightly darker tone, Editing steadily paces its narrative while Brian Tyler's score adds more vibrancy to its plot.

Coming to the performances, Guy Pearce, Ben Kingsley & Rebecca Hall join the reprising cast & ably fill up their given roles while Robert Downey Jr. once again manages to impress the most. The best thing about this sequel is the position it puts Tony Stark in & Downey Jr. does a terrific job in bringing that vulnerability on the screen. Also, while I was a bit furious at what they did with Iron Man's arch-nemesis, I did later warm up to what their intent was here.

On an overall scale, Iron Man 3 is a solid follow up to Iron Man & you don't even have to go through the crap that was Iron Man 2 to get to this one. The film's intent to cover the darker issues at hand while keeping itself light-hearted & plenty of fun is a combination that doesn't gel so well, is at friction on many occasions & is bound to divide its viewers, but its improvement over everything that was so wrong with its predecessor nevertheless makes it a welcome chapter, if not a worthy one.
  
IN
I'm Not Your Manic Pixie Dream Girl
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
I'm Not Your Manic Pixie Dream Girl follows Bea’s attempts to translate her status in high school into a scholarship winning mathematical formula. Simple right? Beatrice, Spencer, and Gabe are not the most popular kids at school – to be honest they’re practically invisible. Most people call Bea “Math Girl” and she wants that to change. She convinces her friends to embrace and exploit a personality trait that fills a void in their school so that they can become popular.

Gabe agrees because he is a writer for the school paper and hopes to be chosen for an internship as a result. He becomes the school’s flamboyant, gay best friend and almost immediately is absorbed into the popular inner-circle. Through his acceptance, Spencer and Bea, now known as Trixie, become known around the school. She must embrace her new personality but doesn’t always make the right decisions.

I personally did not relate to her, despite her love of math and didn’t create a connection. I completely agreed with the opinions of her friends about her behavior. I didn’t find myself being sympathetic to her plight and was frustrated more than anything by her repeated mistakes. She meddles in other people’s business, doesn’t take the high road and even though she accepts her mistakes at the end – it doesn’t feel, to me at least, that she has grown over the course of the novel.

Despite the book being formulaic, it was an enjoyable read – I just wish it wasn’t so predictable. It doesn’t take long to figure out who is going to be the romantic endgame, what friendships will be formed and enemy status established. At the end of it all, you wonder will they realize that it is more important to be true to themselves than to be popular? I think you know what the answer will be.

The book has a fair amount of diversity and representation in it, which is good. I wish each of those various representations was given more detail and thought than being an intermittent descriptive word. It felt more like adding the token LGBTQ+ or ethnically diverse character. We don’t often enough see diversity in books, so it was a little disappointing to me that it so little was done with it.

Overall, I think that it was a quick, contemporary read that young adult/teen readers will enjoy. It is cute, if predictable but the unique aspect of the story of using math to solve life’s problems was quirky and endearing.
  
Iron Man 2 (2010)
Iron Man 2 (2010)
2010 | Action, Sci-Fi
Ever since Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Marvel Studios have pretty much been on a hot streak. It's easy to forget that this titan of a movie house still had to finds its feet once upon a time, and unfortunately they do have a handful of underwhelming titles in their arsenal.

Iron Man 2 is in of these titles, and whilst bit a far cry from a bad movie, the formula wasn't quite there yet.
It's main issues comes from the writing I think. The plot dates to tackle issues such as Tony Stark's trouble with alcohol, a result of slowly being poisoned by the very mechanism that's keeping him alive. He hits rock bottom, pisses off everyone he loves, creates a new element (in probably the most ridiculously convoluted and stupid scene in the MCU) and somewhere amongst all this, there's some big dumb superhero action.
As much as I admire this route, the balance is off, and a big chunk of the movie gets bigger down by these issues.
The side plot that involves a B list villain Whiplash is a nice touch, but it's ultimately wasted in yet another ending brawl that features the hero against an evil version of himself, the second Iron Man film to be released and the second Iron Man film to feature a final boss in a bigger Iron Man suit. It just doesn't feel over imaginative.

It's not all bad though - Iron Man 2 boasts an incredible cast of talent. Robert Downey Jr. and Gwyneth Paltrow of course return from the first movie. Mickey Rourke is the aforementioned Whiplash (I find it hard to dislike Mickey Rourke in general), Don Cheadle takes over the mantle of War Machine, and of course we get the first appearance for Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow.
And a big reason why Iron Man 2 is better than it should be is down to the always fantastic Sam Rockwell. He plays secondary villain Justin Hammer and he oozes charisma, and fits in effortlessly opposite Downey Jr.

Other than that, the effects still hold up for the most part, and the set pieces are fun - the racing track scene is a particular highlight, and its always a treat to see the wider MCU being established as the main plot chugs along.

Iron Man 2 isn't as good as it's predecessor, and is at the lower and of the MCU quality spectrum, but there's still a lot to enjoy if you switch off a bit.
  
My Sister's Bones
My Sister's Bones
Nuala Ellwood | 2017 | Fiction & Poetry
8
7.2 (5 Ratings)
Book Rating
Also read my review here: http://bookbum.weebly.com/book-reviews/my-sisters-bones-by-nuala-ellwood

NOW AVAILABLE IN THE UK!

<b>Trigger warnings are noted in the first paragraph.</b>

<b><i>We’re all of us, every day, just a hairbreadth away from evil. If I’ve learnt anything from fifteen years of reporting, it’s that. But I couldn’t expect these people to understand.</b></i>

This is a really heavy read as it deals with some really dark and depressing subjects, <b>such as the war and refugees in Syria, domestic & child abuse, rape, death, mental illness, alcoholism and miscarriages.</b> Don’t read this if you’re having a low period in your life because this is not going to make you feel any better, throughout it’s a rather distressing and upsetting story.

Each character in this novel was well developed, no matter how small a part they played in the plot. Ellwood has done a fantastic job with her research into PTSD as Kate’s fears and anxieties seem so real to the reader. Though I’ve never experienced anything even close to PTSD, I can really imagine how terrifying and disturbing it would be, from reading this book. It’s definitely the best and most harrowing description of the condition I’ve ever read in a fiction novel.

This was a really well presented novel and I’m amazed that it’s a debut! It was excellently written and thought out. My only issue being that sometimes, the timings in this book felt a little off. When Kate and Paul were together, one minute they'd be serving dinner and the next, after a small 5 lined conversation, it would be midnight and time for Paul to leave and Kate to get into bed. It seemed like large chunks of the day would just disappear.

Maybe I shouldn’t have read some other people’s reviews on this beforehand, but because I was expecting all these super duper amazing twists, I kind of didn’t feel that they were super duper amazing. I also found some of them to be a little far fetched and silly, rather than surprising.

I can definitely see why this has gained so many 5 star ratings, but it’s all down to personal preference at the end of the day, and this one was just a little too dark for my liking. That's not to say I didn't like this...I enjoyed this a lot, hence the 4 stars. I found myself not wanting to put it down, even when my eyes were telling me it was definitely time for sleep. It was certainly a thrilling and page turning read, but I don’t know if I could recommend this to anyone because of all the dark subject matters. It seems like the sort of book some people are going to love for it’s dark realism and others are going to hate that and find it too distressing to read.

Thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Books UK for giving me the opportunity to read this in exchange for an honest review.
  
The Geek&#039;s Guide to Unrequited Love
The Geek's Guide to Unrequited Love
8
7.0 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
The Geek’s Guide to Unrequited Love is a fandom-lovers dream, minus the unrequited love. The story takes place predominantly at New York Comic Con, the second largest convention of pop culture fanatics (myself included) in the United States. You can tell that the author is either very familiar with the area from personal experience, or questioned a con-goer to get every detail. She mentions things like the cell service being spotty in the Artist’s Alley (it is) and the atmosphere you experience on the way to the Con. It’s so fascinating to be walking the streets for a while when suddenly you notice a Spider-Man strolling out of a bakery, not too long after a group of wizards turn the corner and before you know it you’re surrounded by a horde of enthusiastic, frequently costumed, nerds, geeks and fans of all ages outside the Javitt’s Center, where NYCC is held.

The atmosphere was authentic and made me feel like I was attending the Con as well, although that may be in part because I’ve attended NYCC before I do believe that any reader will feel just as immersed. The world was the most enjoyable part of the book, as the characters were not as developed as they could have been. There were moments of clarity where you saw more into their motivations, but overall they weren’t memorable characters. That’s not to say there was anything wrong with them, they just didn’t affect me as a reader.

It was an easy, enjoyable contemporary read that I think is perfect for young adult/teen readers who are fans of something and enjoy books that they can relate to on that level. You don’t have to be a comic book or superhero fan to enjoy Comic Con, it is a refuge and a consolidation of all fandoms. If you love something, you will find something you can relate to at Comic Con and in this book.
  
West of the Moon
West of the Moon
4
4.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
West of the Moon is a lovely tale of two sisters who, after their father travels to America from their homeland of Norway, end up in the care of their Aunt. Whist living with their Aunt the two sisters get separated when the Aunt sells the eldest sister, Astri, to the local goat herder. As we soon find out he is as cruel if not crueler than the greedy Aunt. The story basically revolves around Astri saving herself, the spinning girl who is also being held by the goat herder, then rescuing her younger sister Greta and embarking on a journey to America to find their father.

Whilst I can see why many people are enjoying this book, and I will point out that I read an ARC proof so there may still be slight changes to be made, I just wasn’t fond of the writing style for the most part. This was such a small book compared to what I normally read but I just didn’t feel drawn to read it. Additionally, Astri, the main character uses folk tales and myths to deal with the situations around her and as a coping mechanism. Which I just found long winded and at times confusing. I would have preferred a childlike musing of the situations much like in [b:Room|7937843|Room|Emma Donoghue|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1344265419s/7937843.jpg|9585076] by Emma Donoghue, than a child using stories to describe how she feels.

This just wasn’t for me personally and I understand it is aimed at younger readers but I don’t honestly think it would have been my thing even when I was younger. The last section of the book was much better as the folk tale inclusion was minimal and I finally felt like I got to understand Astri’s real feelings about everything that had and was happening to her. I wish it had all been written like this.
  
Machete (2010)
Machete (2010)
2010 | Action, Mystery
This is the film your parents did not want you to see as a child. Violent, vulgar, and more than a little offensive Machete is shocking, not just for the eyes but also to moral sensibilities. Yet, it is also undeniably funny.

This make believe movie trailer highlighted in the movie Grindhouse was, due to its popularity, turned into a full length feature packed with ridiculous fight scenes and some of the most simplistic dialogue of any modern action film. The visuals stay with you. The action is impressive. This is not just another trip to the movies but a wild chaotic journey at the end of a giant blade.

Director and co-author, Robert Rodriguez, has mixed classic Tarantino styling, the wild world of B movies, and his own flair for dramatic character creation to create a film that is violently astonishing. The fight scenes are engaging from weapon selection all the way to last man standing, and do I really need to tell you who that man is? Of, course not.
Machete is not just your typical anti-hero, he is the vision of an anti-hero with ladies and one-liners in tow. While Danny Trejo (Machete) steals the show he is not the only big name appearing on this cast list. The film is packed with stars such as Jessica Alba (Sartana), Michelle Rodriguez (Luz), and Lindsey Lohan (April), who all play critical characters in this bizarre tale. And so far as the men go, there are also quality performances from Robert De Niro (Senator McLaughlin), Don Johnson (Lt. Stillman), Steven Segal (Torrez) and Cheech Marin (Padre).

Moreover, it is not a stretch to say that this film abruptly addresses some significant stereotypes. In fact Machete doesn’t just confront these issues, it wields a large blade of sarcasm in their direction. Giving a new base line for “over the top,” Machete is sure to be a hit with anyone who is not easily offended.
  
A Cross-Country Trip through Regency England Brings Intrigue, Rogues, and High Adventure

The must-read conclusion to Michelle Griep’s Bow Street Runners Trilogy: Life couldn’t be better for Abigail Gilbert—but it’s been a long time in coming. Having lived with a family who hated her, it’s finally her time for love. Abby sets off on a journey across England to marry one of the most prestigious gentlemen in the land—until highwaymen upset her plans and threaten her life. Horse patrol captain Samuel Thatcher arrives just in time to save Abby. But she’s simply another victim in a job he’s come to despise. Tired of the dark side of humanity, he intends to buy land and retire. Abby pleads with him to escort her for the rest of her journey. He refuses—until she offers him something he desperately needs to achieve his goal. . .money. Delivering her safely will give him more than enough to buy property. So begins an impossible trek for the cynical lawman and the proper lady. Each will be indelibly changed by the time they reach her betrothed, if they don’t kill one another first—or fall in love.



My Thoughts: This was an interesting and well-researched book. Author Michelle Griep once again brings to her readers an exciting read! The storyline is interesting; written in the time period when women did not travel alone, much less in dangerous territory. Abby is a strong character, which has been built by years of abuse from her stepmother. This makes her a very intriguing character for this novel. I enjoyed her character and felt empathy for her in many ways. All the characters make up for a good story in this novel and are not far fetched at all. For those who like historical romances, this is the one for you. It's full of action, romance and real to life instances that make up the storyline in this novel.


   Michelle Griep has written another winner.