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BankofMarquis (1832 KP) rated Spies in Disguise (2019) in Movies
Dec 7, 2020
Strong chemistry between Smith and Holland
Blue Sky Animation Studios has often been seen as the "poor little sister" in the animation game - behind Disney/Pixar and Dreamworks - and is often listed as the "Ice Age" studio. But, if you look into their filmography, you will see a solid mark of quality throughout.
This studio has delivered solid animated outings with such fare as ROBOTS, HORTON HEARS A WHO, RIO and FERDINAND (along with the myriad of ICE AGE films) and their latest feature - 2019's SPIES IN DISGUISE - is no exception. I was pleasantly surprised by the fun, action, comedy and suspense of this film and was entertained throughout.
Blue Sky, of course, IS the "poor little sister" to the "Big 2" and it shows in some of their casting choices. Where I thought vocal work was being done by Tina Fey and Holly Hunter, I soon discovered that it is Rachel Brosnahan and Reba Mcintyre - not shabby at all, but not quite the "A" team either (it's like you are listening to the Broadway replacement actors for the Original Cast).
That is probably because they spent all of their casting money on the 2 leads - Will Smith and Tom Holland - and they are TERRIFIC together. Unlike Holland's lackluster (and lack of chemistry) turn with Chris Pratt in the PIXAR film ONWARD, Holland and Smith work well together in this film and I enjoyed their interactions with each other. Of course, Will Smith is in a league of his own when it comes to charming, cocky adventure hero with raw emotions and a soul - and that is EXACTLY what his character is and it works very, very well. Add to that Holland's riff on his Spiderman Peter Parker character - a scientific genius who is socially awkward and we have a fun duo to root for throughout this film.
Other outstanding voice talents in this cast include Masi Oka (who's voice would be terrific in just about ANY animation film), Rashida Jones, Karen Gillen and the always good Ben Mendelsohn as the villain.
Directors Nick Bruno (in his Directorial debut) and Troy Quane (in only his 2nd Animated outing) do a professional job keeping the plot moving, the fun brewing and the plot and action scenes simple and easy to follow (an easy thing to screw up) and this makes SPIES IN DISGUISE a very fun escape for an hour and 42 minutes.
Letter Grade: B+
7 1/2 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
This studio has delivered solid animated outings with such fare as ROBOTS, HORTON HEARS A WHO, RIO and FERDINAND (along with the myriad of ICE AGE films) and their latest feature - 2019's SPIES IN DISGUISE - is no exception. I was pleasantly surprised by the fun, action, comedy and suspense of this film and was entertained throughout.
Blue Sky, of course, IS the "poor little sister" to the "Big 2" and it shows in some of their casting choices. Where I thought vocal work was being done by Tina Fey and Holly Hunter, I soon discovered that it is Rachel Brosnahan and Reba Mcintyre - not shabby at all, but not quite the "A" team either (it's like you are listening to the Broadway replacement actors for the Original Cast).
That is probably because they spent all of their casting money on the 2 leads - Will Smith and Tom Holland - and they are TERRIFIC together. Unlike Holland's lackluster (and lack of chemistry) turn with Chris Pratt in the PIXAR film ONWARD, Holland and Smith work well together in this film and I enjoyed their interactions with each other. Of course, Will Smith is in a league of his own when it comes to charming, cocky adventure hero with raw emotions and a soul - and that is EXACTLY what his character is and it works very, very well. Add to that Holland's riff on his Spiderman Peter Parker character - a scientific genius who is socially awkward and we have a fun duo to root for throughout this film.
Other outstanding voice talents in this cast include Masi Oka (who's voice would be terrific in just about ANY animation film), Rashida Jones, Karen Gillen and the always good Ben Mendelsohn as the villain.
Directors Nick Bruno (in his Directorial debut) and Troy Quane (in only his 2nd Animated outing) do a professional job keeping the plot moving, the fun brewing and the plot and action scenes simple and easy to follow (an easy thing to screw up) and this makes SPIES IN DISGUISE a very fun escape for an hour and 42 minutes.
Letter Grade: B+
7 1/2 stars (out of 10) and you can take that to the Bank(ofMarquis)
Debbiereadsbook (1197 KP) rated Hellion (415 Ink #3) in Books
Sep 18, 2019
very interesting character, is Ivo!
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gofted my copy of this book.
This is book 3 in the 415 Ink series, but you don't NEED to have read books one, Rebel, and two, Savior, before you read this one. You SHOULD though, because it will give you a better picture of this family group and how they work. Plus, they were both 5 star reads.
This one?? Not so much. And I cannot figure out why! Well I can, and I'll try to explain in a bit.
Oh don't get me wrong, its still a fabulous book, very well written form both Ivo and Ruan's point of view. Its well told, its emotional, its sexy, its a good book!
It just doesn't have that sledgehammer to the chest of such heartbreaking emotion that Gus and Mace's story carry. It DOES have deep emotions, especially when Ivo is talking to Ruan about *that* day and how it led him to do what he did and what happened after, but I kept waiting for Ivo to slip back, for *something* to happen to tip him over the edge. Maybe I'm becoming very mean in my old age, and wanting characters to fall apart so badly cannot be a good thing, but thats how I felt here, and I'm all about the book feelings.
I loved how Ruan questioned Ivo about his clothes, his image, the way he is, NOT to make him change, but to understand Ivo better. Loved that Ivo gave Ruan the time to process everything.
Loved that all the brothers pop up, there is a little bit of overlap to Mace's story. There is also a little bit that gives you Luke and his story. Now, when Ivo was at his tattoo thing, I saw this coming at me, what I did NOT see what how James and Luke knew each other and what happened then. I look forward to reading their story!
And Bear? Oh I have a feeling Ms Ford might have saved the best for last. Being the eldest brother in the family looks like he is the last to fall, and I cannot wait for his story!
So, I'm sorry Ivo wasn't quite the a**hole I thought he was going to be, given how much trouble he caused Ms Ford, but I did enjoy his and Ruan's tale, I just did not love it like I did Mace and Gus'
4 great, good stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
This is book 3 in the 415 Ink series, but you don't NEED to have read books one, Rebel, and two, Savior, before you read this one. You SHOULD though, because it will give you a better picture of this family group and how they work. Plus, they were both 5 star reads.
This one?? Not so much. And I cannot figure out why! Well I can, and I'll try to explain in a bit.
Oh don't get me wrong, its still a fabulous book, very well written form both Ivo and Ruan's point of view. Its well told, its emotional, its sexy, its a good book!
It just doesn't have that sledgehammer to the chest of such heartbreaking emotion that Gus and Mace's story carry. It DOES have deep emotions, especially when Ivo is talking to Ruan about *that* day and how it led him to do what he did and what happened after, but I kept waiting for Ivo to slip back, for *something* to happen to tip him over the edge. Maybe I'm becoming very mean in my old age, and wanting characters to fall apart so badly cannot be a good thing, but thats how I felt here, and I'm all about the book feelings.
I loved how Ruan questioned Ivo about his clothes, his image, the way he is, NOT to make him change, but to understand Ivo better. Loved that Ivo gave Ruan the time to process everything.
Loved that all the brothers pop up, there is a little bit of overlap to Mace's story. There is also a little bit that gives you Luke and his story. Now, when Ivo was at his tattoo thing, I saw this coming at me, what I did NOT see what how James and Luke knew each other and what happened then. I look forward to reading their story!
And Bear? Oh I have a feeling Ms Ford might have saved the best for last. Being the eldest brother in the family looks like he is the last to fall, and I cannot wait for his story!
So, I'm sorry Ivo wasn't quite the a**hole I thought he was going to be, given how much trouble he caused Ms Ford, but I did enjoy his and Ruan's tale, I just did not love it like I did Mace and Gus'
4 great, good stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
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colin... (64 KP) rated Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker (2019) in Movies
Sep 30, 2020
So, I'd like to preface this review by saying that I never thought i would. Thank you Star Wars fans. My experience while watching Endgame on opening night was one of the most atrocious theater going experiences I have ever had, with every single person yelping like baboons at every single line or character appearance. The Star Wars fans that showed up to almost sell out my theater were super respectful and didn't make a single peep through the runtime, thus making my experience much more enjoyable and giving me a clearer head to rate this film. Therefore, I have made the assertion that Marvel is the lowest common denominator and Star Wars gains a bit of respect in my books!
Now, on to the actual film. Listen, if you love the series, you're gonna love this film. It does enough fan service that it satisfies the craving, yet doesn't let it interfere with the story too much. If you hate what the series has become, you're gonna hate the movie. It's way too convenient how everything works out and there are multiple points where I resisted face palming or aggressively whispering to myself. That being said, as I do on most blockbuster films such as this, I land pretty solidly in the middle.
Listen, this piece has a lot of issues with double and triple twists constricting the narrative and not giving it enough room to breathe. It also implements the music in a worse way than I have observed in a Star Wars film to date and the acting by most of the cast was just average at best to me. I was invested for the first eighty minutes or so, but then I just got uninvested and a tad bored. It felt like we were kinda just being ran around the same circle in a repetitive manner without getting to the point until the last twenty minutes or so.
Yet, there's magic here and it is undeniable. I considered it to be nostalgia and then I realised that I don't have the right to be nostalgic about this property. There's just something about the universe construction that seems masterful, and the performances by Adam Driver and Daisy Ridley kick it into overdrive into getting me to care about a world that I would normally give two shits about. The cinematography is surprisingly well done and cleverly varied to accompany certain emotions or appropriate responses.
Overall, it is an acceptable ending to the franchise that doesn't blow anything out of the water, but instead skids along with a bit of turbulence. Thanks for the ride, Abrams.
Now, on to the actual film. Listen, if you love the series, you're gonna love this film. It does enough fan service that it satisfies the craving, yet doesn't let it interfere with the story too much. If you hate what the series has become, you're gonna hate the movie. It's way too convenient how everything works out and there are multiple points where I resisted face palming or aggressively whispering to myself. That being said, as I do on most blockbuster films such as this, I land pretty solidly in the middle.
Listen, this piece has a lot of issues with double and triple twists constricting the narrative and not giving it enough room to breathe. It also implements the music in a worse way than I have observed in a Star Wars film to date and the acting by most of the cast was just average at best to me. I was invested for the first eighty minutes or so, but then I just got uninvested and a tad bored. It felt like we were kinda just being ran around the same circle in a repetitive manner without getting to the point until the last twenty minutes or so.
Yet, there's magic here and it is undeniable. I considered it to be nostalgia and then I realised that I don't have the right to be nostalgic about this property. There's just something about the universe construction that seems masterful, and the performances by Adam Driver and Daisy Ridley kick it into overdrive into getting me to care about a world that I would normally give two shits about. The cinematography is surprisingly well done and cleverly varied to accompany certain emotions or appropriate responses.
Overall, it is an acceptable ending to the franchise that doesn't blow anything out of the water, but instead skids along with a bit of turbulence. Thanks for the ride, Abrams.
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