Search
Search results
Mike Wilder (20 KP) rated 2012 (2009) in Movies
May 30, 2018
As a disaster movie it doesn't get much better than this.
Contains spoilers, click to show
Roland Emmerich has done it again. He seems to get a kick out of bringing out humanities worst fears and putting them on screen in all its glory. After destroying a large part of the world in Independence Day: ID4, and trashing New York with Godzilla, he decides to go the rest of the way and change the face of the earth forever and in the process kill off most of humanity. What is the enemy this time? Aliens? Nope done that. Monsters? Nope also done that. Bad weather? Once again done that. What is left? I know lets have the sun spit out solar flares that heat up the earth's core and destabilize the planet! Whatever his problem with humanity is, it translates well on to film. This is an epic disaster movie. No part of the world is safe and there is no magic quick fix here.
The film itself is simple, massive destruction minimal plot. But in this case it really works. With amazing effects and a great cast that includes John Cusack, Thandie Newton, Oliver Platt, Danny Glover and the story is played out well and the acting is good. It is not too over the top except the stand out performance from the great Woody Harrelson. He is your go to guy when you are looking for crazy, and once again he pulls off the crazy guy effortlessly.
I really enjoyed this film and I think it has been given an unfairly hard time by critics and movie goers alike. I don't understand what people expected from this film. It is a disaster film not The Shawshank Redemption! I expected disaster and destruction and it exceeded my expectations. I didn't expect award winning performances by the actors (many of who are award nominees and winners), and I didn't expect a plot more complicated than oh s**t, we are going to die what can we do? Many viewers and critics must have forgotten the other films by Roland Emmerich when viewing this or they were comparing it to other films that were released at the same time. However I judge a film on its own merit and not comparing it to films that are in a different category. As a disaster movie it doesn't get much better than this.
The film itself is simple, massive destruction minimal plot. But in this case it really works. With amazing effects and a great cast that includes John Cusack, Thandie Newton, Oliver Platt, Danny Glover and the story is played out well and the acting is good. It is not too over the top except the stand out performance from the great Woody Harrelson. He is your go to guy when you are looking for crazy, and once again he pulls off the crazy guy effortlessly.
I really enjoyed this film and I think it has been given an unfairly hard time by critics and movie goers alike. I don't understand what people expected from this film. It is a disaster film not The Shawshank Redemption! I expected disaster and destruction and it exceeded my expectations. I didn't expect award winning performances by the actors (many of who are award nominees and winners), and I didn't expect a plot more complicated than oh s**t, we are going to die what can we do? Many viewers and critics must have forgotten the other films by Roland Emmerich when viewing this or they were comparing it to other films that were released at the same time. However I judge a film on its own merit and not comparing it to films that are in a different category. As a disaster movie it doesn't get much better than this.
Goddess in the Stacks (553 KP) rated The Poppy War (The Poppy War #1) in Books
Oct 9, 2018
Have you ever read a book that is so good you don't know what to say about it? It's taken me almost two weeks to even attempt this review because I just don't know what to write. The Poppy War is your typical story of downtrodden, disadvantaged girl testing into the highest school in the land and gaining the opportunities and privileges that come with that, but then the book takes a sharp twist into war. Rin doesn't exactly get the most typical of educations, even before war breaks out. And when war breaks out, the school is disbanded, the students getting flung all over the land to where the government thinks they will help the most. For Rin, that's joining The Cike. The Bizarre Children. The division of people who can do....things. Things the rest of the military isn't comfortable with. The Cike can call on the powers of gods, and doing so makes them not-quite-untouchables. Rin, who was never short on resentment before this, grows ever more resentful.
Rin is an interesting character; she's been hard done by, yes, but she makes decisions that only make things harder on herself. So I feel for her a little, but at the same time, girl. Check yourself. What's been done to you doesn't justify what you plan to do to others. I am hoping she comes to see that in the next book, because her rage and need for vengeance definitely gets the best of her in this one.
The Poppy War is an excellently written blend of military fantasy, epic fantasy, and coming-of-age novel. Unlike some books, where the military aspect far overshadows the characters, leaving them flat, Poppy War doesn't ignore the characters to focus on the bigger picture. It's a very good mix of both close-up focus on characters, fights, battles, and zoomed-out strategy and war. It's probably the best military fantasy I've read, and the Asian aspect of it makes it even better. So much military fantasy is western European, or Steampunk, or both. I've been finding more and more Asian and African fantasy, and I am SO HERE FOR IT. I need to try to find more South American fantasy. I know it's out there.
I will definitely be watching for the next book in this series, because it's awesome.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.com
Rin is an interesting character; she's been hard done by, yes, but she makes decisions that only make things harder on herself. So I feel for her a little, but at the same time, girl. Check yourself. What's been done to you doesn't justify what you plan to do to others. I am hoping she comes to see that in the next book, because her rage and need for vengeance definitely gets the best of her in this one.
The Poppy War is an excellently written blend of military fantasy, epic fantasy, and coming-of-age novel. Unlike some books, where the military aspect far overshadows the characters, leaving them flat, Poppy War doesn't ignore the characters to focus on the bigger picture. It's a very good mix of both close-up focus on characters, fights, battles, and zoomed-out strategy and war. It's probably the best military fantasy I've read, and the Asian aspect of it makes it even better. So much military fantasy is western European, or Steampunk, or both. I've been finding more and more Asian and African fantasy, and I am SO HERE FOR IT. I need to try to find more South American fantasy. I know it's out there.
I will definitely be watching for the next book in this series, because it's awesome.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.com
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum (2019) in Movies
Jun 19, 2019
“John Wick Chapter 3: Parabellum” literally hits the ground running as the film opens with the title star (Keanu Reeves) and his faithful dog running desperately through the rain soaked streets of New York. Wick is set to have every major player after him and 14 million dollar bounty in less than an hour and he is desperate to find a way out of his situation.
Picking up moments from the end of the last film, Wick is persona non grata due to his decision to conduct business on the grounds of the Continental which while providing services and sanctuary to those in his profession; is strictly forbidden.
As he gets closer to the appointed hour; the streets fill with assassins looking to take down the legend and this drives Wick to desperately call in a Marker with a figure from his past (Anjelica Houston) in order to get passage from the city.
Wick hopes that by meeting with the head of the Table he can get the bounty removed and stop running for his life. This of course requires him to deal with figures from his past such as Sofia (Halle Berry) who would sooner shoot him rather than help him due to the enormous risks associated with helping him in any way.
Of course the bodies pile up along the way as Wick dispatches countless foes in creative and brutal fashion showing his reputation is still very well earned.
The film also has a very clever secondary story that involves Winston (Ian McShane) being forced to atone for his willingness to give Wick a one hour head start at the end of the last film and this of course will bring things full circle as Wick must decide what is most important to him as he tries to find a way out of his deadly situation.
Toss in a master assassin (Mark Dacascos) and his army of rogues after Wick and the film never lets up once. It is an epic thrill ride and a symphony of bullets, blades, blood, and bodies and Reeves and the cast have never been better. While most series have run out of steam by the third film, this series has never been more enjoyable and I cannot wait to see what comes next.
http://sknr.net/2019/05/10/john-wick-chapter-3-parabellum/
Picking up moments from the end of the last film, Wick is persona non grata due to his decision to conduct business on the grounds of the Continental which while providing services and sanctuary to those in his profession; is strictly forbidden.
As he gets closer to the appointed hour; the streets fill with assassins looking to take down the legend and this drives Wick to desperately call in a Marker with a figure from his past (Anjelica Houston) in order to get passage from the city.
Wick hopes that by meeting with the head of the Table he can get the bounty removed and stop running for his life. This of course requires him to deal with figures from his past such as Sofia (Halle Berry) who would sooner shoot him rather than help him due to the enormous risks associated with helping him in any way.
Of course the bodies pile up along the way as Wick dispatches countless foes in creative and brutal fashion showing his reputation is still very well earned.
The film also has a very clever secondary story that involves Winston (Ian McShane) being forced to atone for his willingness to give Wick a one hour head start at the end of the last film and this of course will bring things full circle as Wick must decide what is most important to him as he tries to find a way out of his deadly situation.
Toss in a master assassin (Mark Dacascos) and his army of rogues after Wick and the film never lets up once. It is an epic thrill ride and a symphony of bullets, blades, blood, and bodies and Reeves and the cast have never been better. While most series have run out of steam by the third film, this series has never been more enjoyable and I cannot wait to see what comes next.
http://sknr.net/2019/05/10/john-wick-chapter-3-parabellum/
Neon's Nerd Nexus (360 KP) rated Maleficent: Mistress of Evil (2019) in Movies
Oct 20, 2019
Peace and Iron
Maleficent 2 is a wonderful, enchanting and breathtakingly beautiful sequel that constantly dazzles and delights. Within the few moments of watching Maleficent 2 I was so teeming with excitement and so engaged in its amazing world that I knew it was going to be something special. With a deliciously dark opening scene followed by a beautiful camera dive from the sky over the kingdom down into the forests bellow it was immediately a parent just how magical, creative and down right gorgeous this movie was going to be. Luckily it doesnt stop there and Maleficent 2 might just be one of the most breathtakingly beautiful films ive ever seen. This really adds to immersion/atmosphere and helps create such a believable lived in and vast world you can simply just get lost in. Angelina jolie is sensational almost as if she was born to play this character really bringing her alive by giving her character a real elegance, beauty, charm, anger and intelligence. Her prescence is increadibly intimidating and her temper is so firey that it brings great tension and unpredicatbility to even the smallest of scenes. Elle fanning fits here role perfectly too with her nervous, playful and innocent acting style well suited to her character. Make up and set design are jaw droping the sheer ammount of detail and intracacy thats gone into everything constantly blew me away and every single scene is a visual feast for your eyes to explore. Scale is fantastic too making battles increadibly epic/huge and establishing shots also help you see just how vast and expansive the world really is. Story is a little predictable at time but always feel engaging, fun and enjoyable with enough twists, turns and set pieces to keep it exciting. Theres surprising depth also with themes of hatred, racisum, abandonment, female empowerment, betrayal, loyalty, entrapment and theres even a toutch of politics in there too. Malifecent 2 really blew me away I really did not expect this kind of quality, scale or enjoyment going in to it and thus left the cinema thouroughly happy and entertained. I felt the film had given me the kind of magical experience that ive longed for in a film for a long time and made me feel enthrilled, awe inspired and nostalgic echoing back to the fantasty stories and fables I grew up with. Maleficent is magnificent.
Mediterranean: A Year Around a Charmed and Troubled Sea
Book
On 26th April 2014 Huw kayaked away from Anzac Cove at Gallipoli, Turkey, taking the next three...
TV
The Victory with No Name: The Native American Defeat of the First American Army
Book
In 1791, General Arthur St. Clair led the United States army in a campaign to destroy a complex of...
New York, Portrait of a City
Book
This book presents the epic story of New York in photographs, photo-portraits, maps, and aerial...
Charlie Cobra Reviews (1840 KP) rated Triple Frontier (2019) in Movies
Jul 5, 2020
Choices and Consequences - 7/10
Triple Frontier is a 2019 action/thriller movie directed by J.C. Chandor. The screenplay was written by J.C. Chandor and Mark Boal with story also by Mark Boal. Starring Ben Affleck, Oscar Isaac, Charlie Hunnam, Garrett Hedlund, and Pedro Pascal.
In Columbia fighting drug crime, Santiago "Pope" Garcia (Oscar Isaac), has been working for 3 years. Finally the moment he's been waiting for occurs, when his informant, a woman named Yovanna (Adria Arjona), offers the location of a big time drug lord in exchange for smuggling her brother and her out of the country. She also tells him that the drug lord Lorea keeps all his money with him in his safe house in the jungle. Pope recruits his friends, a group of ex Army Special Forces, for a mission to take out Lorea and seize the money for themselves. But when things go wrong it's one unexpected turn of events after the other, with things spiralling out of control. In an epic battle for survival they are pushed to their breaking point, putting their morals, skills, and loyalties to the test.
This movie was good. Wasn't quite what I expected. As good as it was, I feel like it was missing something. It was a little slow in the beginning, after the first action sequence, and pacing was a bit off. Definitely as advertised in being an action/thriller. If you like action scenes where they shoot-'em-up, this definitely has plenty. I just felt with the pacing that they were far and in between. The acting was very good, the only thing I would say is that the characters didn't have much to keep you connected to them and really care about what happens to them in the long run. It felt like they weren't fully fleshed out and they could have done more to do that better. One thing it did do very well was how it showed the motivations of some of the characters and what led them to the decisions they made. I give this movie a 7/10.
In Columbia fighting drug crime, Santiago "Pope" Garcia (Oscar Isaac), has been working for 3 years. Finally the moment he's been waiting for occurs, when his informant, a woman named Yovanna (Adria Arjona), offers the location of a big time drug lord in exchange for smuggling her brother and her out of the country. She also tells him that the drug lord Lorea keeps all his money with him in his safe house in the jungle. Pope recruits his friends, a group of ex Army Special Forces, for a mission to take out Lorea and seize the money for themselves. But when things go wrong it's one unexpected turn of events after the other, with things spiralling out of control. In an epic battle for survival they are pushed to their breaking point, putting their morals, skills, and loyalties to the test.
This movie was good. Wasn't quite what I expected. As good as it was, I feel like it was missing something. It was a little slow in the beginning, after the first action sequence, and pacing was a bit off. Definitely as advertised in being an action/thriller. If you like action scenes where they shoot-'em-up, this definitely has plenty. I just felt with the pacing that they were far and in between. The acting was very good, the only thing I would say is that the characters didn't have much to keep you connected to them and really care about what happens to them in the long run. It felt like they weren't fully fleshed out and they could have done more to do that better. One thing it did do very well was how it showed the motivations of some of the characters and what led them to the decisions they made. I give this movie a 7/10.
China's Quest: The History of the Foreign Relations of the People's Republic of China
Book
From its founding 65 years ago, the People's Republic of China has evolved from an important yet...
Bob Mann (459 KP) rated Wonder Woman 1984 (2020) in Movies
Dec 16, 2020
Gal Gadot: stunning (2 more)
Movie with real heart
Excellent cinematography
WW dot Well Worth Waiting for Gadot
The long delayed release of the Wonder Woman sequel has finally happened, and it is well worth waiting for.
Gal Gadot is fabulous as the Amazonian beauty (and then some) with Chris Pine reprising his role from the first thing. (Of all the WTF moments of 2020 trailers, this was top of the list.... just HOW? A McGuffin is involved, but no spoilers here!).
In brief, Patty Jenkins delivers a popcorn blockbuster than has legs (over and above Gadot's perfect specimens!): the Goblet-of-Fire-Potteresque pre-title sequence is thrilling and engaging. And the story builds cleverly through the first half of the movie. Above all, there is a heap of HEART involved here.... this is not your run of the mill supervillain showdown flick. In fact, it's a movie with TWO villain (normally a doom-laden premise for this reviewer... "Spider Man 3".... shudder), but here it really works well.
Sure, there is a requirement for a suspension of belief, but - hey - it's a DC movie. On a slight downside, the second half of the movie - for me -unfortunately doesn't quite live up to the promise of first half, blending "Bruce Almighty" with "Superman 2" and rather over-egging the pudding.
But in a morass of B-pics, this sequel is one that is gorgeous to look at (Matthew Jensen's cinematography is superb), gorgeous to listen to (an epic score by Hans Zimmer) and is genuinely engaging. There's also a nice vein of humour running through it... when Kristen Wiig is in a park, a rough sleeper on a bench is reading "Waiting for Godot".... or is it "Waiting for Gadot"??
It's such a brief scene, I wasn't sure!
Although I DEPLORE the Warner Brother's decision to release their material in parallel to streaming, here is a movie that is WELL WORTH you getting out to the cinema to see... assuming that you can find a UK cinema open (I saw this in the excellent Showcase De Luxe in Southampton).
Oh, and if you are someone who dives for the exit at the first title... resist... there is an excellent mid-title sequence featuring a wonderful cameo for us older folks!
(Please check out the full graphical review on bob-the-movie-man, which will be going live shortly. Thanks).
Gal Gadot is fabulous as the Amazonian beauty (and then some) with Chris Pine reprising his role from the first thing. (Of all the WTF moments of 2020 trailers, this was top of the list.... just HOW? A McGuffin is involved, but no spoilers here!).
In brief, Patty Jenkins delivers a popcorn blockbuster than has legs (over and above Gadot's perfect specimens!): the Goblet-of-Fire-Potteresque pre-title sequence is thrilling and engaging. And the story builds cleverly through the first half of the movie. Above all, there is a heap of HEART involved here.... this is not your run of the mill supervillain showdown flick. In fact, it's a movie with TWO villain (normally a doom-laden premise for this reviewer... "Spider Man 3".... shudder), but here it really works well.
Sure, there is a requirement for a suspension of belief, but - hey - it's a DC movie. On a slight downside, the second half of the movie - for me -unfortunately doesn't quite live up to the promise of first half, blending "Bruce Almighty" with "Superman 2" and rather over-egging the pudding.
But in a morass of B-pics, this sequel is one that is gorgeous to look at (Matthew Jensen's cinematography is superb), gorgeous to listen to (an epic score by Hans Zimmer) and is genuinely engaging. There's also a nice vein of humour running through it... when Kristen Wiig is in a park, a rough sleeper on a bench is reading "Waiting for Godot".... or is it "Waiting for Gadot"??
It's such a brief scene, I wasn't sure!
Although I DEPLORE the Warner Brother's decision to release their material in parallel to streaming, here is a movie that is WELL WORTH you getting out to the cinema to see... assuming that you can find a UK cinema open (I saw this in the excellent Showcase De Luxe in Southampton).
Oh, and if you are someone who dives for the exit at the first title... resist... there is an excellent mid-title sequence featuring a wonderful cameo for us older folks!
(Please check out the full graphical review on bob-the-movie-man, which will be going live shortly. Thanks).