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Darren (1599 KP) rated The Spiderwick Chronicles (2008) in Movies
Oct 2, 2019
Characters – Jared is the out going of the twins, he is the one that reads the book and must convince the rest to fight back against goblins, his nature means people are less likely to believe him through any of his decisions though. Simon is the quieter and smarter brother that must look for the solution to the problems being caused. Helen is the mother that is dealing with raising the three children after her marriage has fallen apart and she needs to start a new life, one she isn’t prepared for. Mallory is the older sister that must be the warrior for the twins. Mulgarath is the goblin king that wants the book to kill any species in the surrounding area.
Performances – Freddie Highmore takes twin roles here and handles them both very well showing how he can be the smarter kid and the adventurous one too. Mary Louise Parker in the parental role works well as we need her to bring the serious side to the story now. Sarah Bolger is strong too needing to be the strongest member of the children.
Story – The story takes three siblings into a battle with goblins with fantasy creatures being used to guide the way in this battle. This will bring the broken family back together, well back to the level they are going to need to get used too. The scale of the book doesn’t give the story enough credit because it feels like this book has created a massive world only for us to get a snippet into everything. this story doesn’t re-invent the wheel because we can see the formula unfold without needing to guess to much on just how thing go on. We do deal with a big family change which should be the focal point through the film too.
Adventure/Fantasy – The adventure side of the film takes the family into battle against the creatures of the forest which are invisible to most of the world, this plays into the fantasy side too because of the creatures we see at war.
Settings – The film takes the family to a new house that is in the middle of the forest, which shows us the finical change the family must take, as well as the adventures waiting in the forest for people to experience.
Special Effects – The effects in the film are strong for the most part because we get to see the different creation looking like they would fit in the normal world.
Scene of the Movie – Come with me.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – Not getting a full grasp of the scale of the fantasy world.
Final Thoughts – This is a fun fantasy adventure that brings the characters into a world which will unite them as they deal with the biggest change of the children’s life.
Overall: Simple and enjoyable.
Performances – Freddie Highmore takes twin roles here and handles them both very well showing how he can be the smarter kid and the adventurous one too. Mary Louise Parker in the parental role works well as we need her to bring the serious side to the story now. Sarah Bolger is strong too needing to be the strongest member of the children.
Story – The story takes three siblings into a battle with goblins with fantasy creatures being used to guide the way in this battle. This will bring the broken family back together, well back to the level they are going to need to get used too. The scale of the book doesn’t give the story enough credit because it feels like this book has created a massive world only for us to get a snippet into everything. this story doesn’t re-invent the wheel because we can see the formula unfold without needing to guess to much on just how thing go on. We do deal with a big family change which should be the focal point through the film too.
Adventure/Fantasy – The adventure side of the film takes the family into battle against the creatures of the forest which are invisible to most of the world, this plays into the fantasy side too because of the creatures we see at war.
Settings – The film takes the family to a new house that is in the middle of the forest, which shows us the finical change the family must take, as well as the adventures waiting in the forest for people to experience.
Special Effects – The effects in the film are strong for the most part because we get to see the different creation looking like they would fit in the normal world.
Scene of the Movie – Come with me.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – Not getting a full grasp of the scale of the fantasy world.
Final Thoughts – This is a fun fantasy adventure that brings the characters into a world which will unite them as they deal with the biggest change of the children’s life.
Overall: Simple and enjoyable.
Star Wars®: Knights of the Old Republic™
Games
10.0
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Star Wars™: Knights of the Old Republic™ now includes fully functional MFi controller support,...
Survivalcraft
Games and Entertainment
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You are marooned on the shores of an infinite blocky world. Explore, mine resources, craft tools and...
hungryhouse - takeaway food delivery
Food & Drink and Lifestyle
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Order takeaway online with our free app! With our app you can browse restaurant menus, read customer...
ABNEHM-TIPPS - Die besten Tipps & Tricks zum Abnehmen und Schlankbleiben
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>>> DAS ORIGINAL DER ERFOLGS-APP: PLATZ 1 in DEUTSCHLAND, ÖSTERREICH + SCHWEIZ !!! ✸ ✸ ✸ ...
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Tenacity ( Rise of Iliri book 5) in Books
Feb 1, 2022
Contains spoilers, click to show
❗️❗️❗️ spoiler in last paragraph!‼️‼️
20 of 230
Kindle
Tenacity ( Rise of Iliri book 5)
By Auryn Hadley
WAR, HEARTBREAK, MORE WAR... AND A NEW FRIEND
In the fifth heart-stopping tale of her epic fantasy series The Rise of the Iliri, Auryn Hadley interjects a compelling sci-fi action fantasy with an emotionally charged reverse harem romance, setting the heart-warming experience of everyday community against the heart-wrenching reality of war - and the loss it causes. A jarring emotional roller coaster, Tenacity tells the age-old tale of pure love amidst a struggle between good and evil - but with a heaping dose of the light-hearted, cross-cultural birds and bees. This one has plenty of laughs. And plenty of heartbreak.
Slowly, region by region, the Lieutenant Salryc Luxx and her elite Black Blades are pushing forward and liberating an enslaved nation from the emperor's reign of terror. But the battle's not without consequence.
While scoping out the quiet remains of a fallen town - too quiet, actually - they discover scores of slaughtered families. But they also discover life: a young girl, locked in a cage below a tavern. No one is certain exactly what she is. She has unusual streaks of red, blonde, and white hair, and two different-colored eyes. She's fluent in iliri language, and she's terrified. So terrified that when an officer approaches to unlock her, her fear burns a hole in his armor.
The girl's name is Shaden. She's too young to know what exactly her talents are, or how to control them, but she's powerful. Immediately recognizing Sal as the fabled Kaisae, she trusts only Sal. Meanwhile, as the Black Blades continue their assault on a city thought to be impenetrable, Shaden manages to harness her power to help keep her newfound family of warriors safe. But for Sal's part, Shaden triggers difficult emotional memories of her own enslavement as a girl. And her longing to free anyone she can
With every win, Sal is bombarded by the thanks of those she rescued, and the disdain of those whose families she could not save. She can't sleep, she can't eat ... but she cannot stop fighting, either.
Victory is near. The Emperor is losing. He knows this. He knows Sal's responsible, and he knows exactly how to destroy her - go after those she loves most.
There’s me going a long nicely really enjoying the book and being back with Sal and her guys the Bam!!!! Not only does Balaec get killed in front of her she has to watch the dogs eat him! My heart broke this was a character death I won’t forget in a hurry poor Sal. Poor black blades. This was another brilliant book from a series I absolutely love! I just need to hide this one in the freezer (if you know you know) .
20 of 230
Kindle
Tenacity ( Rise of Iliri book 5)
By Auryn Hadley
WAR, HEARTBREAK, MORE WAR... AND A NEW FRIEND
In the fifth heart-stopping tale of her epic fantasy series The Rise of the Iliri, Auryn Hadley interjects a compelling sci-fi action fantasy with an emotionally charged reverse harem romance, setting the heart-warming experience of everyday community against the heart-wrenching reality of war - and the loss it causes. A jarring emotional roller coaster, Tenacity tells the age-old tale of pure love amidst a struggle between good and evil - but with a heaping dose of the light-hearted, cross-cultural birds and bees. This one has plenty of laughs. And plenty of heartbreak.
Slowly, region by region, the Lieutenant Salryc Luxx and her elite Black Blades are pushing forward and liberating an enslaved nation from the emperor's reign of terror. But the battle's not without consequence.
While scoping out the quiet remains of a fallen town - too quiet, actually - they discover scores of slaughtered families. But they also discover life: a young girl, locked in a cage below a tavern. No one is certain exactly what she is. She has unusual streaks of red, blonde, and white hair, and two different-colored eyes. She's fluent in iliri language, and she's terrified. So terrified that when an officer approaches to unlock her, her fear burns a hole in his armor.
The girl's name is Shaden. She's too young to know what exactly her talents are, or how to control them, but she's powerful. Immediately recognizing Sal as the fabled Kaisae, she trusts only Sal. Meanwhile, as the Black Blades continue their assault on a city thought to be impenetrable, Shaden manages to harness her power to help keep her newfound family of warriors safe. But for Sal's part, Shaden triggers difficult emotional memories of her own enslavement as a girl. And her longing to free anyone she can
With every win, Sal is bombarded by the thanks of those she rescued, and the disdain of those whose families she could not save. She can't sleep, she can't eat ... but she cannot stop fighting, either.
Victory is near. The Emperor is losing. He knows this. He knows Sal's responsible, and he knows exactly how to destroy her - go after those she loves most.
There’s me going a long nicely really enjoying the book and being back with Sal and her guys the Bam!!!! Not only does Balaec get killed in front of her she has to watch the dogs eat him! My heart broke this was a character death I won’t forget in a hurry poor Sal. Poor black blades. This was another brilliant book from a series I absolutely love! I just need to hide this one in the freezer (if you know you know) .
Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Darkest Night (First edition) in Tabletop Games
Jun 12, 2019
One of the best parts of the board gaming experience is finding a fun group of people with whom to play! Sometimes, though, coordinating a game night is easier said than done. We all must occasionally forego the group experience and face the world as the Lonely Only. But fear not! The world of solo-play is a vast and exciting realm! What follows is a chronicle of my journey into the solo-playing world – notes on gameplay, mechanics, rules, difficulty, and overall experience with solo variations of commonly multiplayer games! I hope this will provide some insight as you continue to grow your collection, or explore your already owned games!
Once prosperous, your kingdom has fallen victim to a powerful Necromancer who has shrouded the realm in darkness. His minions traverse the land doing his bidding, and his army, as well as his powers, continue to grow. All hope is lost….or is it? Four heroes band together in a final attempt to defeat this evil being. Each brings unique powers and strategies to the table, and success will come in one of two ways – by defeating the Necromancer in direct combat, or by gathering Holy Relics and performing a ritual to undo his powers. But be warned: the Necromancer grows stronger with every passing moment, so be sure your chosen strategy is the right one. Otherwise you too will fall victim to the Necromancer’s might.
Darkest Night is a cooperative game where players take on the role of the heroes attempting to defeat the Necromancer. Each turn has 4 steps – Perform any start-of-turn actions, draw/resolve an Event card, perform one action, and defend against Blights (monsters). Each equipped with a unique set of powers, the heroes must work together to search the land for Holy Relics and destroy Blights before the kingdom is overrun. Once all of the heroes have had their turn, the Necromancer gets his turn, which entails advancing the Darkness track, moving towards the closest detected hero, and creating more Blights. Victory comes in two forms – ritual or combat. If the heroes collectively uncover three Holy Relics, they can use them in a ritual to break the Necromancer’s powers. Or if a hero gets strong enough, they could directly fight the Necromancer. If, at any point, the Monastery is overrun by Blights, the game ends in failure and the kingdom has fallen into darkness.
DISCLAIMER – This review is for the Darkest Night (First Edition) base game. There is a second edition, and several expansions, but I have not had experience with any of those, so my thoughts are solely based on the First Edition base game. -L
I’m just going to be up-front and let you know that I am not a huge fan of this game solo. The main reason is that this game is for four heroes, regardless of actual player count. So playing solo means that I have to control all four heroes. Controlling one hero, I can do. Controlling two heroes takes more focus, but is usually manageable. But controlling four heroes at once? Madness! At least for me it is. There is so much more for a single person to keep track of, and it can be pretty overwhelming. There are so many variables to keep track of, I often end up making mistakes – forgetting to draw Event cards, accidentally using one hero’s ability when it is a different hero’s turn, forgetting to give one hero a turn in a round because I thought they already had one, etc. If I am lucky, I will catch a mistake in-progress, or one turn later, and can rectify it. But to be honest, of all the mistakes I make while playing Darkest Night, I probably won’t catch 25% of them. Which can either make a game super easy, or super brutal. You might tell me, “Focus!” or “Pay better attention!” but believe me, I’m trying! I just feel like four heroes for one person is too much.
Patience is a virtue, but apparently I have none when it comes to this game. And by that, I mean that I feel like it takes an eternity to accomplish anything in this game. On your turn, you only get one single action. And movement is an action. Picture this – I am trying to move my hero to the opposite end of the kingdom (at least 2 spaces away). I am going to have to spend 2 complete rounds (active hero turn, other hero turns, Necromancer turn, x2) just to get there. And then once I finally get there, I have to wait for the 3rd round to even do anything in that location! I just get frustrated at the fact that something as simple as moving a few spaces takes multiple rounds to accomplish. Since everything takes so long to do, you have to be thinking so far into the future with every turn. That makes it difficult for me to strategize, and the game just feels so inefficient, especially in solo play, when you have to control all of the heroes. It can be tricky enough planning a few turns in advance for a single hero, but being in charge of all heroes just makes the job more complicated. And maybe I’m just not patient enough for this game, but I think that if every hero got two actions per turn, the game would be a lot more manageable.
This will come as no surprise to you, but I enjoy this game more in a group rather than solo. This game is cooperative, and I like being able to talk strategy with my fellow gamers, rather than trying to figure everything out for each of the four heroes by myself. Group play also allows me to focus my attention on one single hero instead of multiple, which makes the game feel less overwhelming to me. And perhaps the second edition or expansions address some of the issues I have with the game, but for the time being, Darkest Night is low on my list of solo games.
https://purplephoenixgames.wordpress.com/2019/01/04/solo-chronicles-darkest-night/
Once prosperous, your kingdom has fallen victim to a powerful Necromancer who has shrouded the realm in darkness. His minions traverse the land doing his bidding, and his army, as well as his powers, continue to grow. All hope is lost….or is it? Four heroes band together in a final attempt to defeat this evil being. Each brings unique powers and strategies to the table, and success will come in one of two ways – by defeating the Necromancer in direct combat, or by gathering Holy Relics and performing a ritual to undo his powers. But be warned: the Necromancer grows stronger with every passing moment, so be sure your chosen strategy is the right one. Otherwise you too will fall victim to the Necromancer’s might.
Darkest Night is a cooperative game where players take on the role of the heroes attempting to defeat the Necromancer. Each turn has 4 steps – Perform any start-of-turn actions, draw/resolve an Event card, perform one action, and defend against Blights (monsters). Each equipped with a unique set of powers, the heroes must work together to search the land for Holy Relics and destroy Blights before the kingdom is overrun. Once all of the heroes have had their turn, the Necromancer gets his turn, which entails advancing the Darkness track, moving towards the closest detected hero, and creating more Blights. Victory comes in two forms – ritual or combat. If the heroes collectively uncover three Holy Relics, they can use them in a ritual to break the Necromancer’s powers. Or if a hero gets strong enough, they could directly fight the Necromancer. If, at any point, the Monastery is overrun by Blights, the game ends in failure and the kingdom has fallen into darkness.
DISCLAIMER – This review is for the Darkest Night (First Edition) base game. There is a second edition, and several expansions, but I have not had experience with any of those, so my thoughts are solely based on the First Edition base game. -L
I’m just going to be up-front and let you know that I am not a huge fan of this game solo. The main reason is that this game is for four heroes, regardless of actual player count. So playing solo means that I have to control all four heroes. Controlling one hero, I can do. Controlling two heroes takes more focus, but is usually manageable. But controlling four heroes at once? Madness! At least for me it is. There is so much more for a single person to keep track of, and it can be pretty overwhelming. There are so many variables to keep track of, I often end up making mistakes – forgetting to draw Event cards, accidentally using one hero’s ability when it is a different hero’s turn, forgetting to give one hero a turn in a round because I thought they already had one, etc. If I am lucky, I will catch a mistake in-progress, or one turn later, and can rectify it. But to be honest, of all the mistakes I make while playing Darkest Night, I probably won’t catch 25% of them. Which can either make a game super easy, or super brutal. You might tell me, “Focus!” or “Pay better attention!” but believe me, I’m trying! I just feel like four heroes for one person is too much.
Patience is a virtue, but apparently I have none when it comes to this game. And by that, I mean that I feel like it takes an eternity to accomplish anything in this game. On your turn, you only get one single action. And movement is an action. Picture this – I am trying to move my hero to the opposite end of the kingdom (at least 2 spaces away). I am going to have to spend 2 complete rounds (active hero turn, other hero turns, Necromancer turn, x2) just to get there. And then once I finally get there, I have to wait for the 3rd round to even do anything in that location! I just get frustrated at the fact that something as simple as moving a few spaces takes multiple rounds to accomplish. Since everything takes so long to do, you have to be thinking so far into the future with every turn. That makes it difficult for me to strategize, and the game just feels so inefficient, especially in solo play, when you have to control all of the heroes. It can be tricky enough planning a few turns in advance for a single hero, but being in charge of all heroes just makes the job more complicated. And maybe I’m just not patient enough for this game, but I think that if every hero got two actions per turn, the game would be a lot more manageable.
This will come as no surprise to you, but I enjoy this game more in a group rather than solo. This game is cooperative, and I like being able to talk strategy with my fellow gamers, rather than trying to figure everything out for each of the four heroes by myself. Group play also allows me to focus my attention on one single hero instead of multiple, which makes the game feel less overwhelming to me. And perhaps the second edition or expansions address some of the issues I have with the game, but for the time being, Darkest Night is low on my list of solo games.
https://purplephoenixgames.wordpress.com/2019/01/04/solo-chronicles-darkest-night/
John Roope (4 KP) rated Alita: Battle Angel (2019) in Movies
Feb 12, 2019
Great Design (1 more)
Good Action
Cheesy Dialogue (3 more)
Paper thin characters
Poor Performances
Distracting CGI main character
A cluttered poorly written movie with engaging action keeping it afloat
Alita battle angel is full of great action and a potentially interesting story that's let down by a substandard script. It follows Alita a cyborg rebuilt by Dr Dyson Igo ( a substandard performance from Cristoph Waltz) who has amnesia and must rediscover her past while on a quest to reach the mysterious floating city of Salem.
The first act of the movie is probably the strongest from a character perspective as we see Alita exploring this new world and building relationships with our central characters however on a dime that all changes. After observing Dr Igos mysterious nocturnal activities she unlocks some of her past discovering that she has unmatched fighting capabilities and suddenly becomes a wise cracking badass instead of this innocent girl and suddenly the action is centre stage.
Alita becomes a hunter warrior and participates in motor ball in order to reach Salem and defeat the baddies that want to capture her at all costs for the enigmatic nova up in the floating city. The action is well choreographed and while it does sometimes creep into the transformers/man of steel realm of headache inducing loud cluttered cgi infused battles for the most part they are exciting and tense as she battles larger and more experienced opponents. However after seeing Alita best even the strongest the tension in these fights wane as it becomes clearer and clearer she is in a league of of her own and her heartless ruthlessness disconnected me somewhat from sympathising with her as a character.
Fallen by the wayside in this deluge of action is the development of side characters and their relationships with Alita as well as the back story for the world. The father daughter dynamic is left shallow as is her relationship with Hugo who has a rather troubling occupation and Igo's ex wife who's collaborating with Salems spokesperson Vektor in order to get to Salem. None of these characters have enough time to develop their characters in order to give the audience much of an emotional connection that just leaves the movie feeling very stretched out and thin especially as the emotional connection with our heroine wanes.
The effects for the most part were good for the most part but Alita's CGI face didn't work for me at all at times it was over expressive and other times looked blank. It left me cringing at times when she spoke as the uncanny valley territory creeps ever closer. It just struck me as unnecessary and down right creepy feeling like a twisted sexual fantasy of a ultra innocent doe eyed girl who was also a killing machine. It was endlessly distracting and feel like it would be easier to connect with her as a character if she didn't loom so fake while everyone else felt completely real.
Going into this for some fun balls to the wall action you probably won't be too disappointed but looking for much depth here will be in vain as this never reaches the levels the ambitiously vast story aspires to get to
The first act of the movie is probably the strongest from a character perspective as we see Alita exploring this new world and building relationships with our central characters however on a dime that all changes. After observing Dr Igos mysterious nocturnal activities she unlocks some of her past discovering that she has unmatched fighting capabilities and suddenly becomes a wise cracking badass instead of this innocent girl and suddenly the action is centre stage.
Alita becomes a hunter warrior and participates in motor ball in order to reach Salem and defeat the baddies that want to capture her at all costs for the enigmatic nova up in the floating city. The action is well choreographed and while it does sometimes creep into the transformers/man of steel realm of headache inducing loud cluttered cgi infused battles for the most part they are exciting and tense as she battles larger and more experienced opponents. However after seeing Alita best even the strongest the tension in these fights wane as it becomes clearer and clearer she is in a league of of her own and her heartless ruthlessness disconnected me somewhat from sympathising with her as a character.
Fallen by the wayside in this deluge of action is the development of side characters and their relationships with Alita as well as the back story for the world. The father daughter dynamic is left shallow as is her relationship with Hugo who has a rather troubling occupation and Igo's ex wife who's collaborating with Salems spokesperson Vektor in order to get to Salem. None of these characters have enough time to develop their characters in order to give the audience much of an emotional connection that just leaves the movie feeling very stretched out and thin especially as the emotional connection with our heroine wanes.
The effects for the most part were good for the most part but Alita's CGI face didn't work for me at all at times it was over expressive and other times looked blank. It left me cringing at times when she spoke as the uncanny valley territory creeps ever closer. It just struck me as unnecessary and down right creepy feeling like a twisted sexual fantasy of a ultra innocent doe eyed girl who was also a killing machine. It was endlessly distracting and feel like it would be easier to connect with her as a character if she didn't loom so fake while everyone else felt completely real.
Going into this for some fun balls to the wall action you probably won't be too disappointed but looking for much depth here will be in vain as this never reaches the levels the ambitiously vast story aspires to get to
Movie Metropolis (309 KP) rated 2012 (2009) in Movies
Jun 10, 2019
Roland Emmerich does big budget disaster flicks as well as Dairylea does cheese. However, some of his most recent attempts to dominate the box office have been panned by viewers and critics alike, who say that he has become too reliant on special effects.
Unfortunately, those critics better look away now, as his new film is the biggest yet.
2012 takes place, well, in 2012 for the most part and features an array of big Hollywood names attracted none the less by the huge box office forecasts for the film. The premise is simple; here comes the end of the world and god should we run!
With a reported budget of over $200m which is more than Michael Bay spent on his worldwide smash Transformers: Revenge of the fallen, Emmerich was certainly able to splash out on some eye popping CGI.
2012 reads like The Day After Tomorrow on a steroid, which is no bad thing, but that film had some hideously underdeveloped characters and lacked the depth needed to allow viewers to share compassion for the people who had been affected by the global crisis.
Thankfully it seems that Emmerich has learnt his lesson here and has provided us with a back-story and it comes in many different forms. Thandie Newton and Danny Glover play president’s daughter and president respectively, a great deal of emotion has gone into writing these two characters and their on-screen scenes together, albeit a small amount, are wonderful.
John Cusack and Amanda Peet play divorced parents Jackson and Kate, only united by the love they share for their two young children and predictably later on in the film, a few deeper emotions. Unfortunately these two share no chemistry together and their on-screen scenes are flawed as a result.
2012 doesn’t have a huge deal of character development but it does improve on what was seen in The Day After Tomorrow and more recently, 10,000BC, with a deeper understanding of the characters. It ultimately succeeds in making the viewers share compassion for even the heartless characters in the film.
Moving on to the saving grace of all disaster films; the special effects, fans of major cities being destroyed are going to be pleased here with some eye-watering action pieces really showing why perhaps Emmerich overshadows even Michael Bay and has become the king of destroying anything that can be destroyed. There are a few questionable scenes, which look rather less than realistic, but this is a small point that doesn’t need to be taken into account.
Whilst all this may seem excellent, it all feels familiar, it’s all been seen and done before, so in reality 2012 adds nothing new to the genre which is unfortunate because it really is an excellent film.
Overall, 2012 is a mouth-watering treat in cinema engineering, apart from some lapses in scientific accuracy and some shaky special effects; it surpasses The Day After Tomorrow and similar disaster films by sheer depth. On the downside it adds nothing new to the formula, but if you want sheer popcorn fodder then please, look no further.
https://moviemetropolis.net/2010/10/18/2012-2009/
Unfortunately, those critics better look away now, as his new film is the biggest yet.
2012 takes place, well, in 2012 for the most part and features an array of big Hollywood names attracted none the less by the huge box office forecasts for the film. The premise is simple; here comes the end of the world and god should we run!
With a reported budget of over $200m which is more than Michael Bay spent on his worldwide smash Transformers: Revenge of the fallen, Emmerich was certainly able to splash out on some eye popping CGI.
2012 reads like The Day After Tomorrow on a steroid, which is no bad thing, but that film had some hideously underdeveloped characters and lacked the depth needed to allow viewers to share compassion for the people who had been affected by the global crisis.
Thankfully it seems that Emmerich has learnt his lesson here and has provided us with a back-story and it comes in many different forms. Thandie Newton and Danny Glover play president’s daughter and president respectively, a great deal of emotion has gone into writing these two characters and their on-screen scenes together, albeit a small amount, are wonderful.
John Cusack and Amanda Peet play divorced parents Jackson and Kate, only united by the love they share for their two young children and predictably later on in the film, a few deeper emotions. Unfortunately these two share no chemistry together and their on-screen scenes are flawed as a result.
2012 doesn’t have a huge deal of character development but it does improve on what was seen in The Day After Tomorrow and more recently, 10,000BC, with a deeper understanding of the characters. It ultimately succeeds in making the viewers share compassion for even the heartless characters in the film.
Moving on to the saving grace of all disaster films; the special effects, fans of major cities being destroyed are going to be pleased here with some eye-watering action pieces really showing why perhaps Emmerich overshadows even Michael Bay and has become the king of destroying anything that can be destroyed. There are a few questionable scenes, which look rather less than realistic, but this is a small point that doesn’t need to be taken into account.
Whilst all this may seem excellent, it all feels familiar, it’s all been seen and done before, so in reality 2012 adds nothing new to the genre which is unfortunate because it really is an excellent film.
Overall, 2012 is a mouth-watering treat in cinema engineering, apart from some lapses in scientific accuracy and some shaky special effects; it surpasses The Day After Tomorrow and similar disaster films by sheer depth. On the downside it adds nothing new to the formula, but if you want sheer popcorn fodder then please, look no further.
https://moviemetropolis.net/2010/10/18/2012-2009/
Movie Metropolis (309 KP) rated American Assassin (2017) in Movies
Jun 10, 2019
Great, another terrorism thriller
Just what the world needs, another ill-timed terrorism-based thriller – you can almost hear the groans can’t you? It seems the movie-going public just can’t get enough of these accounts of urban terrorism.
Last year’s diabolical London Has Fallen inexplicably took over $200million at the box office and the better-received Unlocked also performed well commercially. All of this in spite of the constant threat posed by terrorism across the globe.
Now, there’s a new kid on the block. American Assassin. But does this film based on the novel of the same name do enough to be different?
When Cold War veteran Stan Hurley (Michael Keaton) takes CIA black ops recruit Mitch Rapp (Dylan O’Brien) under his wing, they receive an assignment to investigate a wave of random attacks on both military and civilian targets. After discovering a pattern of violence, Hurley and Rapp join forces with a lethal Turkish agent to stop a mysterious operative who wants to start a global war.
Michael Cuesta’s film is propped up by a nicely shot opening in which Dylan O’Brien’s Mitch comes up against Islamic terrorists while on holiday with his fiancé. Naturally, she’s brutally murdered and it becomes Mitch’s life-ambition to hunt down terrorist cells across the world.
Yes, you heard me right. That’s the plot. Ridiculous in every way and frankly, a little boring, American Assassin is a poor excuse for a film riddled with dreadful dialogue, phoned-in performances and uninspiring camerawork.
What makes it worse is that Maze Runner rising star Dylan O’Brien thought it would be a good idea to helm such a vehicle. He performs well but feels at odds with the film’s dark tone and is in serious danger of doing a post-Abduction Taylor Lautner and tanking his promising career. Michael Keaton’s bizarre effort here is the polar opposite of his genuinely menacing turn in Spider-Man: Homecoming only two months ago.
The rest of the cast might as well be made of cardboard they’re that uninteresting and while globe-trotting should evoke some visual joy, the scenery feels flat, hampered by a dull colour palette and the fact it’s been done to death already.
As American Assassin steamrolls to a 70s-esque Bond finale, we’re subjected to some torturous CGI, though Cuesta does well to ramp up the tension a little, but it’s the subject matter once again that proves a sticking point.
In a world where our fears of urban terrorism are greater than ever, should we be classing films like this as ‘entertainment’? Take the opening sequence for example, as nicely choreographed as it is, the parallels to the dreadful Tunisian beach attack of 2015 linger in the back of my mind and I find it all very much in poor taste.
Overall, American Assassin is yet another addition to the already overstuffed terrorism thriller genre that adds absolutely nothing new. The performances are dull, the story is flat and the cinematography is uninspired. Poor Dylan O’Brien left the Maze for this?
https://moviemetropolis.net/2017/09/15/american-assassin-review/
Last year’s diabolical London Has Fallen inexplicably took over $200million at the box office and the better-received Unlocked also performed well commercially. All of this in spite of the constant threat posed by terrorism across the globe.
Now, there’s a new kid on the block. American Assassin. But does this film based on the novel of the same name do enough to be different?
When Cold War veteran Stan Hurley (Michael Keaton) takes CIA black ops recruit Mitch Rapp (Dylan O’Brien) under his wing, they receive an assignment to investigate a wave of random attacks on both military and civilian targets. After discovering a pattern of violence, Hurley and Rapp join forces with a lethal Turkish agent to stop a mysterious operative who wants to start a global war.
Michael Cuesta’s film is propped up by a nicely shot opening in which Dylan O’Brien’s Mitch comes up against Islamic terrorists while on holiday with his fiancé. Naturally, she’s brutally murdered and it becomes Mitch’s life-ambition to hunt down terrorist cells across the world.
Yes, you heard me right. That’s the plot. Ridiculous in every way and frankly, a little boring, American Assassin is a poor excuse for a film riddled with dreadful dialogue, phoned-in performances and uninspiring camerawork.
What makes it worse is that Maze Runner rising star Dylan O’Brien thought it would be a good idea to helm such a vehicle. He performs well but feels at odds with the film’s dark tone and is in serious danger of doing a post-Abduction Taylor Lautner and tanking his promising career. Michael Keaton’s bizarre effort here is the polar opposite of his genuinely menacing turn in Spider-Man: Homecoming only two months ago.
The rest of the cast might as well be made of cardboard they’re that uninteresting and while globe-trotting should evoke some visual joy, the scenery feels flat, hampered by a dull colour palette and the fact it’s been done to death already.
As American Assassin steamrolls to a 70s-esque Bond finale, we’re subjected to some torturous CGI, though Cuesta does well to ramp up the tension a little, but it’s the subject matter once again that proves a sticking point.
In a world where our fears of urban terrorism are greater than ever, should we be classing films like this as ‘entertainment’? Take the opening sequence for example, as nicely choreographed as it is, the parallels to the dreadful Tunisian beach attack of 2015 linger in the back of my mind and I find it all very much in poor taste.
Overall, American Assassin is yet another addition to the already overstuffed terrorism thriller genre that adds absolutely nothing new. The performances are dull, the story is flat and the cinematography is uninspired. Poor Dylan O’Brien left the Maze for this?
https://moviemetropolis.net/2017/09/15/american-assassin-review/