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Raya and the Last Dragon (2021)
Raya and the Last Dragon (2021)
2021 | Animation, Family
In a magical land known as Kumandra; Humans and Dragons co-exist in harmony. When a threat in the form of creatures known as Druun arrive and threaten to destroy everything; the Dragons combine their power to defeat them but in doing so all but one of the Dragons remains.

In the new Disney animated film “Raya and the Last Dragon”; audiences are introduced to the narrative of the story by Raya (Kelly Marie Tran), who tells that the world has become fractured and she is to blame. A sacred relic that the Dragons used to Defeat the Druun has given her kingdom prosperity but the surrounding kingdoms all named after various parts of a Dragon are envious of their position.

When Raya’s father Chief Benja (Daniel Dae Kim); attempts to unite the other kingdoms, a tragic betrayal results in the relic becoming fractured with each kingdom taking a fragment. As if this situation was not bad enough; the fracturing of the relic ushers in the return of the Druun and they quickly resume turning everything not protected by a barrier of water to stone.

The story then jumps years into the future where Raya and her faithful companion Tuk Tuk (Alan TudyK) are searching the rivers of the kingdoms in an effort to find the location where the last Dragon Sisu (Awkwafina) is rumored to have been sleeping for 500 years.

Raya is eventually able to locate Sisu who is a very playful and animated creature and the two set off to save the day by obtaining the missing fragments through any means necessary. Naturally, their journey will be filled with dangers, adventure, and humor, as the various kingdoms have their own unique visual style and characters; some of whom join with Raya on her quest to provide much-needed support, perspective, and at times; humor.

The movie is visually amazing as the artists clearly were inspired to create a world that combines elements of many Asian cultures yet has its own unique traits. I marveled at the details of the water and ripples and how the railings on a boat showed uneven discoloration and wear in just a casual scene where the characters talked. It is this attention to detail that really adds to the magic of the film as well as the immersion into fantasy.

The supporting cast was great and there are some characters I do not wish to spoil who practically steals every scene in which they are in. My wife and I were captivated from the very start as Disney has created a film that embodies much of their classic themes and yet expands upon them to create a film the entire family will enjoy.

The movie will be released in cinemas and via a paid option for Disney+ subscribers. We attended a press screening at a cinema; our first in almost a year and found the setup to be very safe and it was amazing to see such visual splendor on a big screen.

Disney has once again created a new classic and has given audiences the magic that they are known for at a time when it is most needed.

4 stars out of 5.
  
    Shonen Jump Manga Reader

    Shonen Jump Manga Reader

    Book and Magazines & Newspapers

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    The official English source to read Weekly Shonen Jump, the world's most popular manga magazine! You...

Conrad (Assassin's To Order #4)
Conrad (Assassin's To Order #4)
JP Sayle, Lisa Oliver | 2023 | LGBTQ+, Paranormal, Romance
10
10.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
saved the best for last!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.


This is book 4 in the Assassins To Order series, and I strongly recommend you read books 1 to 3 first. OR at least, book 3 Duron. The Devil pops up first in that book.


I think, for me, Sayle and Oliver saved the best for last! I LOVED this, the final book.


Conrad is an assassin, and Kylo a police officer in Paraguay where the lost boys seem to originate from. Kylo has been chasing The Devil for 20 years and calling for an assassin to finally help him seemed like a good idea. Until Conrad gets off the plane and they scent each other: mates!


What I especially liked about this one was that Conrad is fully aware of his sexuality, while his brothers had not been. And Kylo calls to his Dom, much like his lion. And while Kylo is an Alpha male, a panther, he doesn't question Conrad and his connection and what Conrad can do for him, he just goes with it, and accepts what the Fates have planned for him.


Loved that Wyatt pops up, and who with and how THAT all plays out! Kinda saw that coming in the last book, but loved that it gets explained.


The Devil and what happens with all that was a surprise, and I loved the showdown! I'm still not entirely sure how many animals Conrad has, but they range from a blue dragon to a spider and everything inbetween. What happens between them all at the showdown was shocking but Kylo took it all in his stride. Loved that, while Conrad's lion is his most Dominant animal, the dragon has to have the last say!


There is talk of the other assassins, but only Wyatt pops up, The Thalassa guys are mentioned as well, but none appear here. I kinda missed them!


I'll miss ALL these guys, now both series are finished, but I think this really was a fitting end. I do hope we get some follow ups shorts!


I was waiting for this, and it did not disappoint.


5 full and shiny stars


*same worded review will appear elsewhere
  
Munchkin
Munchkin
2001 | Card Game, Fantasy, Fighting, Humor
Easy to pick up, great expansions (0 more)
Excellent group game
One of the easiest to learn games, yet the most fun, games I've played. The cards are almost entirely self explanatory, and the huge amount of nods to the different variations and flavours of games (particularly Dungeons and Dragons) is brilliant.

Whether you fight the Level 8 Gazebo, the Level 1 Potted Plant, or the Level 20 Plutonium Dragon, the deals you can make with your friends and enemies can be almost anything - we even house rule that it can be outside of the game (for example, "I will make the next drink if you help me in this fight, and only take 1 treasure"). Its also entirely possible to "help" in the fight, but sabotage the fight so they dont gain levels!

With dozens of expansions, too, the game can grow and grow, and if you like a particular genre, they probably have it as an option (Sci Fi? Space Munchkin. Vampires? Munchkin Bites etc) - and they can all be played in one huge pile, if you want!!

Brilliant game
  
Monopoly: Game of Thrones
Monopoly: Game of Thrones
2015 | Territory Building
A must for Monopoly and GOT fans
I'd been waiting for a Game of Thrones themed Monopoly for such a long time, and it does not disappoint.

To start with, the box and entire contents look very high quality and they really make the most of the Games of Thrones theme. The box decoration is sleek and minimal and looks quite fancy, and the instructions are on a rolled up, red ribbon tied scroll. The playing pieces are good choices, although i do wish there was a dragon (as opposed to an egg) as it may stop the constant bickering over who gets to be the Direwolf... The money, cards and properties too are all well suited and really fit in with the theme, to allow you to finally own your own little corner of Westeros.


Of course if you're not a Game of Thrones or Monopoly fan, then this isn't going to appeal. But if you love both, then I'd highly recommend adding this to your game collection. You won't want to play standard Monopoly ever again!
  
Tiger's Voyage
Tiger's Voyage
Colleen Houck | 2011 | Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Young Adult (YA)
9
9.0 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
The dragons (0 more)
Lots of which one should I choose let's look at things logically, while ignoring everything I learn. (0 more)
This book starts about a month
after the second book ends. It really plays up the love triangle thing but still has the adventure parts too. Unfortunatly, Kelsey is distracted by who to choose and why that she gets distracted easily. Kudos to her though because she doesn't "check out" when Ren doesn't remember her and her heart is broken (unlike the girl who has to choose between the sparkly vampire and the not werewolf because- he is Native American and the European rules of werewolf don't apply and he really could have shapechanged into a bear or cougar....)
I think the dragon's are fun characters and the gold dragon reminds me of Frank Burns but that might be because I was watching a MASH marathon while reading this.
I also enjoy the diving instructor. I know people whose accent will disappear or get thicker to tease, confuse, or disarm someone.
  
Coercion: The Complete Collection (The Montana Dragons 1)
Coercion: The Complete Collection (The Montana Dragons 1)
Chole Cole | 2015 | Paranormal, Romance
7
7.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Character Development (0 more)
Fast Paced Dragon Shifter
This is the first book I have read by Chloe Cole. It's been sitting on my kindle for quite some time so when I was looking for a good paranormal shifter book, I figured this one would do. I wasn't expecting much but I have to say I was impressed.

Chloe Cole was able to create a world that kept me entertained. I enjoyed the characters and the plot line was fun. I was a little nervous with the title Coercion but I was happy to see that this didn't turn into a darker story. The plot moved steadily and the characters experienced an instant love type story. At times, I found myself annoyed but all in all I did enjoy the plot. I do wish that we saw more growth in the characters though.

Ultimately, it kept me entertained and it was a nice, quick read. I would give it 3 1/2 stars so I'm giving it 4 because I always round up.
  
Fist of Fury (Jing wu men) (1972)
Fist of Fury (Jing wu men) (1972)
1972 | Action, International, Drama
9
9.5 (2 Ratings)
Movie Rating
If Enter the Dragon is considered not only Bruce Lee's most successful film, but his most well-received then this would get my vote for a close second. Bruce Lee manages to show a little versatility when it comes to his acting this time around as he's shown dressed up as an old man and as a nerdy, telephone worker each with their own quirks and characteristics that Lee does a great job of portraying. Then there's the fight scenes. While working backwards through the ultimate boxed set, this is the first film to have any blood. The fight scenes are up to Lee's typical standard greatness, but the highlight is surely Chen Zhen's fight with with the seemingly unstoppable Russian, Petrov. Several of the scenes in that fight are featured in most video montages made of Lee to this day and for good reason. This also seemed to be better during the second viewing, which is slightly surprising. This is surely a must see for any Bruce Lee fan.
  
Mulan (1998)
Mulan (1998)
1998 | Action, Animation, Family
Worth Fighting For (0 more)
Mulan- is a strange movie, cause it came out after "The Lion King". And the movie's after "The Lion King" were stange. What im saying is after "The Lion King", disney decided to go really strange/a huge left turn/didn't expect that/disappointed and overall a huge downfall. But i will get to those movies. Oh this is one of them.

Mulan does have good songs like.."True To Your Heart", "Reflection", "Honor To All Of Us" and "Ill Make A Man Out Of You".

The plot: Fearful that her ailing father will be drafted into the Chinese military, Mulan (Ming-Na Wen) takes his spot -- though, as a girl living under a patriarchal regime, she is technically unqualified to serve. She cleverly impersonates a man and goes off to train with fellow recruits. Accompanied by her dragon, Mushu (Eddie Murphy), she uses her smarts to help ward off a Hun invasion, falling in love with a dashing captain along the way.

Its a good movie, i liked it.