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Sarah (7800 KP) rated Captain Marvel (2019) in Movies
Mar 13, 2019
Good but nothing special
I feel a little let down by Captain Marvel. It isn't a bad film but neither was it up to the standard of other Marvel films. And I'm not entirely sure why.
Something about this felt a bit meh and lacklustre, especially the first half hour or so. And even when Nick Fury comes in, it still feels like there's something missing at times. Brie Larson is good and I do quite like her, Samuel L Jackson is great as a less serious rookie Fury and the rest of the supporting cast too are good. Although there could have been a little more Jude Law. The star of the show is definitely Goose by far, and this film would've been a lot worse off without him in it. I think the major issue with me is it seemed to be lacking in humour. And when there was jokes and one liners, the majority of these fell flat. It seemed to be lacking a bit if the usual Marvel pizzazz. The soundtrack is pretty good though.
My only other criticism is the weak excuse that has been put forward to explain her absence in the rest of the Marvel universe so far. I've never read any back story or comics etc so I dont know if it's it ties in with them, but it was a little disappointing.
Something about this felt a bit meh and lacklustre, especially the first half hour or so. And even when Nick Fury comes in, it still feels like there's something missing at times. Brie Larson is good and I do quite like her, Samuel L Jackson is great as a less serious rookie Fury and the rest of the supporting cast too are good. Although there could have been a little more Jude Law. The star of the show is definitely Goose by far, and this film would've been a lot worse off without him in it. I think the major issue with me is it seemed to be lacking in humour. And when there was jokes and one liners, the majority of these fell flat. It seemed to be lacking a bit if the usual Marvel pizzazz. The soundtrack is pretty good though.
My only other criticism is the weak excuse that has been put forward to explain her absence in the rest of the Marvel universe so far. I've never read any back story or comics etc so I dont know if it's it ties in with them, but it was a little disappointing.
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Darren (1599 KP) rated Bandits (2001) in Movies
Jul 25, 2019
This is a film that I saw not long after it came out and didn’t recall much about it besides the fact that it starred Bruce Willis, Billy Bob Thornton and Cate Blanchett.
It’s actually quite a mediocre heist film since it tries much too hard to make this feel as if it’s story is one that could be “ripped from the headlines” and also feel pertinent to Reality TV, which was in its infancy at the time.
The chemistry between the characters is quite weak and the fact that Willis and Thornton don’t feel as if they are on level ground also hurts things since the characters are meant to be equal.
Blanchett’s character is quite annoying the whole way through and it’s pretty difficult to believe that she is able to have a romance with one of these men, and they want us to believe that she has one with both of them.
This love triangle just doesn’t work on any level.
The story itself is quite repetitive and they rehash things much too often instead of trying to break new ground along the way.
This film should have been much shorter and that might have been better if edited together.
The movie fails to decide whether it wants to be seen as a comedy or as a crime thriller and in the end it feels as if it is neither especially when there are too many scenes that play off as being overly melodramatic for their own good.
Bottom Line – Very mediocre heist film that tries too hard to feel as if it is “ripped from the headlines” during the beginning of the days of Reality TV. Willis and Thornton don’t work very well together because they never seem to feel as if their characters are on equal levels. Blanchett’s character is quite annoying throughout and its very hard to believe the love triangle that comes about. The story itself feels too repetitive and things could have been shortened a lot because they try to reestablish things that they previously established. The plot gets a bit too melodramatic for its own good and fails to make the decision of whether they want this to be seen as a comedy or as a crime thriller and in the end, it seems like neither.
It’s actually quite a mediocre heist film since it tries much too hard to make this feel as if it’s story is one that could be “ripped from the headlines” and also feel pertinent to Reality TV, which was in its infancy at the time.
The chemistry between the characters is quite weak and the fact that Willis and Thornton don’t feel as if they are on level ground also hurts things since the characters are meant to be equal.
Blanchett’s character is quite annoying the whole way through and it’s pretty difficult to believe that she is able to have a romance with one of these men, and they want us to believe that she has one with both of them.
This love triangle just doesn’t work on any level.
The story itself is quite repetitive and they rehash things much too often instead of trying to break new ground along the way.
This film should have been much shorter and that might have been better if edited together.
The movie fails to decide whether it wants to be seen as a comedy or as a crime thriller and in the end it feels as if it is neither especially when there are too many scenes that play off as being overly melodramatic for their own good.
Bottom Line – Very mediocre heist film that tries too hard to feel as if it is “ripped from the headlines” during the beginning of the days of Reality TV. Willis and Thornton don’t work very well together because they never seem to feel as if their characters are on equal levels. Blanchett’s character is quite annoying throughout and its very hard to believe the love triangle that comes about. The story itself feels too repetitive and things could have been shortened a lot because they try to reestablish things that they previously established. The plot gets a bit too melodramatic for its own good and fails to make the decision of whether they want this to be seen as a comedy or as a crime thriller and in the end, it seems like neither.
The Marinated Meeple (1853 KP) rated The Palace of Mad King Ludwig in Tabletop Games
May 13, 2018
Lots of different avenues to win (4 more)
Lots of good choices
Well made pieces
Same feel as the 1st game but yet very different.
Moats as timer is brilliantly done.
Lots of little bits (1 more)
Lots of things to keep track of
Really good complex castle building game
really enjoyed this game. Must play once to know what you are doing. Lots to keep track of. Tons of great choices. Things can get quickly out of hand score wise. My wife doubled her score the 2nd time we played. It doesnt have charm of the final layout the original castles of mad king Ludwig has. But this one is more flexible and deep I think. Different games but both nail the theme. I love the timer mechanism of the game with the moats and the auction mechanic isnt as harsh. Great deeper euro. Worthy of a play.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2568 KP) rated Cinco de Murder in Books
Apr 6, 2018
Celebration Leads to Murder
It’s Cinco de Mayo weekend, and Josie Callahan has a full plate. She will be waitressing at her family’s Tex-Mex restaurant as well as helping her uncle with the first annual chili cook-off and dancing in the parade. The last thing she needs is to find the body of Lucky Straw, one of the cook-off contestants. He wasn’t well liked, but who would kill him?
This is a fun mystery tying into a different holiday, yet it fits the theme of this series perfectly. The mystery is good, with several elements to keep us guessing until the end. I did feel that the book needed another edit to smooth things over as Josie’s changing theories constantly confused me, but not in a good way for a mystery. The series regulars are as fun as always, especially Josie’s abuela
This is a fun mystery tying into a different holiday, yet it fits the theme of this series perfectly. The mystery is good, with several elements to keep us guessing until the end. I did feel that the book needed another edit to smooth things over as Josie’s changing theories constantly confused me, but not in a good way for a mystery. The series regulars are as fun as always, especially Josie’s abuela
Ross (3284 KP) rated Of Gods and Men in Books
Jan 31, 2018
Enough hints to anticipate twists and reveals (1 more)
Short and concise
Fantastic taster of Aryan's writing and world
*** I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review ***
This novella serves as an excellent taster of Stephen Aryan's writing style and the world in which his other books take place. I haven't read any of his other work yet, but as this is a prequel I didn't feel I was missing out on any inside knowledge. If anything, this book serves as an expanded backstory to one of the main characters of the first series, Vargus.
I really enjoyed the entry into the world, Aryan's easy-flowing narrative and the short, concise self-contained story which contains some good, well described action scenes, good dialogue and hints at a larger world to be explored and does lead you to want to read more.
This novella serves as an excellent taster of Stephen Aryan's writing style and the world in which his other books take place. I haven't read any of his other work yet, but as this is a prequel I didn't feel I was missing out on any inside knowledge. If anything, this book serves as an expanded backstory to one of the main characters of the first series, Vargus.
I really enjoyed the entry into the world, Aryan's easy-flowing narrative and the short, concise self-contained story which contains some good, well described action scenes, good dialogue and hints at a larger world to be explored and does lead you to want to read more.
ArecRain (8 KP) rated Quest for Earth in Books
Jan 18, 2018
I have really been on a sci-fi romance kick lately so I was looking forward to this story. It had its good points and bad points, While it was enjoyable, it wasnt perfect.
The bad is that it was a cliché stereotype of sci-fi romance that did not bring anything new to the table. I felt that the reader was thrown into the story with no prior knowledge of the world building, leaving the reader lost and frustrated. I felt the descriptions we were given werent relevant. I also loathe the idea of alpha males and their fated mates. I feel most authors use it as an excuse to force two characters together so that the eventually can stand each other.
The good is that there are strong female leads and, despite not having much background given, the worlds were pretty interesting.
The bad is that it was a cliché stereotype of sci-fi romance that did not bring anything new to the table. I felt that the reader was thrown into the story with no prior knowledge of the world building, leaving the reader lost and frustrated. I felt the descriptions we were given werent relevant. I also loathe the idea of alpha males and their fated mates. I feel most authors use it as an excuse to force two characters together so that the eventually can stand each other.
The good is that there are strong female leads and, despite not having much background given, the worlds were pretty interesting.
Crystal (9 KP) rated Delilah: Treacherous Beauty (Dangerous Beauty, #3) in Books
Jul 4, 2018
The writing is well done, and very easy to understand. The descriptions of the world are good, especially when discussing social aspects. The world is built well, with enough history given, but without overloading with too much information or facts. Although the writing is good, the character development is mediocre. The main character never really learns her lesson until it is much too late, and is hell bent on revenge before anything else. There isn't a lot of opportunity for growth, though she struggles in the beginning, it would be more empowering to see her 'fall' be a little more dramatic as far as her standards she was used to. It's mentioned but I feel that her emotions could've been better explored. For a 'biblical fiction' I enjoyed the story and historical information.
I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Ross (3284 KP) rated Captain Marvel, Volume 1: Higher, Further, Faster, More in Books
Sep 17, 2018
Captain Marvel is not a superhero I am familiar with, but with a free Kindle Unlimited trial and an upcoming movie about her, I thought I should give it a try.
Some really good artwork here, being slightly cartoony in nature but not too twee. Some good interaction with Guardians of the Galaxy.
But in general, just a bit flimsy and dull. A lot of the book falls into Phantom Menace-esque international trade tariff discussions which take up quite a large proportion of the page count.
I don't feel like this really shows off one of the most powerful superheroes in all their glory, rather being a strong independent woman sorting things out through political discussion and diplomacy before eventually resorting to her powers. While this was right for the story being told, I found it a boring one. I may not be the target market for this.
Some really good artwork here, being slightly cartoony in nature but not too twee. Some good interaction with Guardians of the Galaxy.
But in general, just a bit flimsy and dull. A lot of the book falls into Phantom Menace-esque international trade tariff discussions which take up quite a large proportion of the page count.
I don't feel like this really shows off one of the most powerful superheroes in all their glory, rather being a strong independent woman sorting things out through political discussion and diplomacy before eventually resorting to her powers. While this was right for the story being told, I found it a boring one. I may not be the target market for this.
Merissa (14003 KP) rated Traitor (Maelstrom Chronicles, #2) in Books
Dec 17, 2018
I received this book from Entangled Publishing in return for a fair and honest review.
This is a complex and intricate science fiction story with a dash of romance thrown in for good measure. It is the second book in the series although it can be read as a standalone (as I have) and I don't feel that you lose too much by doing so. It also has a considerably large character list for you to keep track of. Traitor is quite a long book so you get a lot of book for your buck.
On the whole, this was an enjoyable read with lots of different opinions, points of view and action spots to keep you interested. It is well-written at a steady pace, building up to the climax. For lovers of Sci-Fi, I can definitely recommend it.
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
This is a complex and intricate science fiction story with a dash of romance thrown in for good measure. It is the second book in the series although it can be read as a standalone (as I have) and I don't feel that you lose too much by doing so. It also has a considerably large character list for you to keep track of. Traitor is quite a long book so you get a lot of book for your buck.
On the whole, this was an enjoyable read with lots of different opinions, points of view and action spots to keep you interested. It is well-written at a steady pace, building up to the climax. For lovers of Sci-Fi, I can definitely recommend it.
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Erika (17789 KP) Mar 13, 2019