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Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Maleficent (2014) in Movies
Aug 6, 2019
I was quite apprehensive headed into the new Disney movie ‘Maleficent’
(Starring Angelina Jolie, Elle Fanning, Sharlto Copley, and Sam Riley), because all the ‘official’ reviews said it wasn’t any good.
I thoroughly disagree.
Maleficent made me laugh, it made me cry and it had me holding my breath in anticipation in some parts.
It takes a ‘Wicked’ type look at the age old story of Sleeping Beauty.
While the narration is from the point of view of a much older Aurora, the story focuses on the point of view of Maleficent.
The young Maleficent (played by Isobelle Molloy) meets a young orphaned peasant boy with aspirations to live in the neighboring kingdoms castle.
Through the years they bond and grow close and share what is supposed to be ‘true loves kiss’.
Time moves on. The king in the adjoining kingdom is greedy and wants the lands that are ruled over by Maleficent. There is a battle, he is soundly defeated, and the King is injured mortally in battle. He pronounces that he will make whoever avenges him and kills Maleficent the next ruler.
Stefan, still being ambitious, finds Maleficent, and while pretending to still be her friend, drugs her. He can’t bring himself to actually kill her and steals her wings instead, to present to the king as proof of her demise.
Stefan is crowned king. Time passes.
Maleficent’s pain and anger and betrayal do not dissipate. They grow and coalesce to the point that at the celebration to celebrate the birth of King Stefan’s daughter Aurora, she curses the child, sealing her fate that naught but ‘true loves kiss’ will break the curse.
The story follows the child’s growth, with Maleficent watching her every move, and getting closer and closer to her with every passing year.
Maleficent dubs Aurora ‘Beastie’, and Aurora calls Maleficent ‘Godmother’.
As Aurora’s 16th birthday draws near, Maleficent grows desperate to break the very curse that she had cast many years before.
It does not work.
I won’t ruin it by telling the ending, but it was action packed, and heart wrenching, and (at least to me) marginally unpredictable…. (I thought one person would break it, but another did…. I did figure it out before it happened, but mostly because I’ve been watching Once Upon A Time).
I really enjoyed the film, I loved the 3D of it, and I would most assuredly see it again. I wouldn’t recommend it for very young children, and I don’t feel like I can bring my almost 6 year old to it, but I would consider letting him see it by age 8 or 9.
(Starring Angelina Jolie, Elle Fanning, Sharlto Copley, and Sam Riley), because all the ‘official’ reviews said it wasn’t any good.
I thoroughly disagree.
Maleficent made me laugh, it made me cry and it had me holding my breath in anticipation in some parts.
It takes a ‘Wicked’ type look at the age old story of Sleeping Beauty.
While the narration is from the point of view of a much older Aurora, the story focuses on the point of view of Maleficent.
The young Maleficent (played by Isobelle Molloy) meets a young orphaned peasant boy with aspirations to live in the neighboring kingdoms castle.
Through the years they bond and grow close and share what is supposed to be ‘true loves kiss’.
Time moves on. The king in the adjoining kingdom is greedy and wants the lands that are ruled over by Maleficent. There is a battle, he is soundly defeated, and the King is injured mortally in battle. He pronounces that he will make whoever avenges him and kills Maleficent the next ruler.
Stefan, still being ambitious, finds Maleficent, and while pretending to still be her friend, drugs her. He can’t bring himself to actually kill her and steals her wings instead, to present to the king as proof of her demise.
Stefan is crowned king. Time passes.
Maleficent’s pain and anger and betrayal do not dissipate. They grow and coalesce to the point that at the celebration to celebrate the birth of King Stefan’s daughter Aurora, she curses the child, sealing her fate that naught but ‘true loves kiss’ will break the curse.
The story follows the child’s growth, with Maleficent watching her every move, and getting closer and closer to her with every passing year.
Maleficent dubs Aurora ‘Beastie’, and Aurora calls Maleficent ‘Godmother’.
As Aurora’s 16th birthday draws near, Maleficent grows desperate to break the very curse that she had cast many years before.
It does not work.
I won’t ruin it by telling the ending, but it was action packed, and heart wrenching, and (at least to me) marginally unpredictable…. (I thought one person would break it, but another did…. I did figure it out before it happened, but mostly because I’ve been watching Once Upon A Time).
I really enjoyed the film, I loved the 3D of it, and I would most assuredly see it again. I wouldn’t recommend it for very young children, and I don’t feel like I can bring my almost 6 year old to it, but I would consider letting him see it by age 8 or 9.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Jobs (2013) in Movies
Aug 6, 2019
Whatever you may think of the Apple line of products, Apple as a company, or Steve Jobs himself; one cannot deny that Apple is an innovator and one of those companies that shape economies as well as how we see ourselves.
JOBS is the story of Steve Jobs who, after dropping out of college, created the billion-dollar company so many people buy phones from now. Ashton Kutcher portrays Jobs right down to his many behavioral quirks, and does a very good job; there were even times I forgot I was watching Kutcher. He even mimicked the set of Jobs’ mouth perfectly. I found myself wondering if the people who knew Jobs would feel like they were seeing a ghost.
The movie follows Jobs as he drops acid in the 60s, finds computers in the 70s, “grows up”, while growing his business, in the 80s, and then actually grows up in the early 90s (kind of). It is well known that Jobs was hard to with, but this film shows that he was a gigantic jerk at times. He cut people out of things others would think they deserved; he treated his friends and coworkers alike, and never batted an eyelash at the hurtful things he said to those people. That being said; he truly had a vision and knew what it would take to make that vision come to life. Most driven people tend to be selfish and Jobs was no exception to this; he actually took it to a whole new level at times. The movie doesn’t shy away from this side of his personality, but it does try to explain some of the ticks. This was an area that I thought could have been done a bit better; it would have been nice to see what about his childhood left such an impression that he felt it was ok to be so mean to people. At times I found the movie difficult to watch simply due to his treatment of others, and total lack of understanding how what he said and did affected them. “Oh, that’s just Steve” was an actual line said in the film.
Other than this I found JOBS to be a very interesting look into a modern day legend. One that doesn’t pull as many punches as I thought it would, but that also doesn’t make a villain of a man who, while having extraordinary vision, was nothing more than a man.
If you are a fan of Apple, Jobs, or are just looking for a break from the summer block buster movies, check out JOBS.
JOBS is the story of Steve Jobs who, after dropping out of college, created the billion-dollar company so many people buy phones from now. Ashton Kutcher portrays Jobs right down to his many behavioral quirks, and does a very good job; there were even times I forgot I was watching Kutcher. He even mimicked the set of Jobs’ mouth perfectly. I found myself wondering if the people who knew Jobs would feel like they were seeing a ghost.
The movie follows Jobs as he drops acid in the 60s, finds computers in the 70s, “grows up”, while growing his business, in the 80s, and then actually grows up in the early 90s (kind of). It is well known that Jobs was hard to with, but this film shows that he was a gigantic jerk at times. He cut people out of things others would think they deserved; he treated his friends and coworkers alike, and never batted an eyelash at the hurtful things he said to those people. That being said; he truly had a vision and knew what it would take to make that vision come to life. Most driven people tend to be selfish and Jobs was no exception to this; he actually took it to a whole new level at times. The movie doesn’t shy away from this side of his personality, but it does try to explain some of the ticks. This was an area that I thought could have been done a bit better; it would have been nice to see what about his childhood left such an impression that he felt it was ok to be so mean to people. At times I found the movie difficult to watch simply due to his treatment of others, and total lack of understanding how what he said and did affected them. “Oh, that’s just Steve” was an actual line said in the film.
Other than this I found JOBS to be a very interesting look into a modern day legend. One that doesn’t pull as many punches as I thought it would, but that also doesn’t make a villain of a man who, while having extraordinary vision, was nothing more than a man.
If you are a fan of Apple, Jobs, or are just looking for a break from the summer block buster movies, check out JOBS.
ClareR (5991 KP) rated The Ninth Child in Books
May 1, 2020
Victorian Scotland, where reality meets myth.
The Ninth Child is a mesmerising mix of reality and fairytale. Neither of them are the pretty version, either. The story itself is set in Glasgow and the Trossachs between 1856 and 1859, where Isabel Aird is the wife of a young doctor. She has miscarried all seven of the babies she has carried so far, and is struggling to find meaning in her life. Her husband is very protective of her, but she can’t seem to forgive him for his apparent ability to shake off the loss of their babies.
We also get little glimpses in to the private lives of Queen Victoria and Albert, and the reason for this becomes clear as the story progresses. The link between the two families seems to be a strange character called Robert Kirke. Strange things seem to have been happening since the digging and tunnelling began. Isabel meets this strange man not long after she moves near to the site of the Loch Katrine Waterworks. This is no place for a lady brought up in all the comforts of a well-to-do Glaswegian home. But Isabel finds solace in the wildness, and the descriptions of the lochs and landscapes makes it easy to understand why.
This was such a surprising book, it wasn’t at all what I was expecting. I WAS expecting a good story - I loved The Sealwoman’s Gift. The mix of real, hard life and the fairy elements were really well done, and I loved that these weren’t the pretty, twee, friendly fairies that we seem to hear of so much of these days. I like my fairies to be tricksters, untrustworthy, always looking for an angle that they can work, a little grotesque.
I really enjoyed this book, and seemed to read it far too quickly. I’m a lover of history, myths and the unexplained, and this certainly delivered in these areas. The writing is gorgeous - the descriptions are such that you feel you’re there. We were supposed to be going on holiday this year to the Highlands, and this has made me hope even more that we’ll still be able to go. It’s one thing reading a description, it’s quite another to be there, experiencing the landscape for yourself.
This is a wonderful book, and one to tell my friends about!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Two Roads for my copy of this book to read and review.
We also get little glimpses in to the private lives of Queen Victoria and Albert, and the reason for this becomes clear as the story progresses. The link between the two families seems to be a strange character called Robert Kirke. Strange things seem to have been happening since the digging and tunnelling began. Isabel meets this strange man not long after she moves near to the site of the Loch Katrine Waterworks. This is no place for a lady brought up in all the comforts of a well-to-do Glaswegian home. But Isabel finds solace in the wildness, and the descriptions of the lochs and landscapes makes it easy to understand why.
This was such a surprising book, it wasn’t at all what I was expecting. I WAS expecting a good story - I loved The Sealwoman’s Gift. The mix of real, hard life and the fairy elements were really well done, and I loved that these weren’t the pretty, twee, friendly fairies that we seem to hear of so much of these days. I like my fairies to be tricksters, untrustworthy, always looking for an angle that they can work, a little grotesque.
I really enjoyed this book, and seemed to read it far too quickly. I’m a lover of history, myths and the unexplained, and this certainly delivered in these areas. The writing is gorgeous - the descriptions are such that you feel you’re there. We were supposed to be going on holiday this year to the Highlands, and this has made me hope even more that we’ll still be able to go. It’s one thing reading a description, it’s quite another to be there, experiencing the landscape for yourself.
This is a wonderful book, and one to tell my friends about!
Many thanks to NetGalley and Two Roads for my copy of this book to read and review.
Kristy H (1252 KP) rated Strike Me Down in Books
Apr 23, 2020
This was certainly an intriguing book with an interesting premise. Nora and her firm are given only a few days to find the money missing from Strike's coffers. Strike is run and controlled solely by Logan and Greg, without outside influence from shareholders. As such, they are self-made. But that's also made them vulnerable to such a theft. I honestly would have liked to see more of the forensic accounting pieces--I'm a big dork. For instance, Nora's company has a computer named Inga who searches emails for clues and patterns. I would have been fine seeing and learning more about Inga at work.
"Five days. Twenty million dollars. The pressure was indisputably on."
The book, however, was focused more on personalities, with much of the story told via Nora and Greg's eyes. This would have been fine, but I never really felt much of a connection with either of these characters. Or Logan Russo, either, despite her portrayal as a dynamic, forceful heroine who has impacted a generation of kickboxers and athletes. Nora makes a series of bad decisions and seems oddly obsessed with Logan for no real reason--a weird focus that is never really explained. She has a past that has led her to her role in forensic accounting, but it never really leads to much in the end. Greg is a focused businessman on the outs with his wife, and I never felt much sympathy with him. And Logan, as mentioned, who is supposed to be the core of this book, just falls flat until nearly the end of the novel.
"For forty years she'd been invisible, a quality she'd not only taken for granted, but turned into her greatest asset. She was the unseen eye, the counter nobody counted, who wove numbers into dark and avaricious stories."
Overall, the book is just weird. I feel bad putting that in a review without much further explanation, but I don't want to put spoilers. It's strange. Yes, it's compelling, in some ways, but I never felt like I needed to get back to reading it. I was interested about what happened to the money, but also had a good inkling early on about what really went down (and was proved right). Maybe if you connect more with the characters, this will be a true page-turner. It's still a tense read and different, for sure. I did enjoy the ending, and I actually felt something for the characters there. Therefore, this one squeaks by at 3 stars.
"Five days. Twenty million dollars. The pressure was indisputably on."
The book, however, was focused more on personalities, with much of the story told via Nora and Greg's eyes. This would have been fine, but I never really felt much of a connection with either of these characters. Or Logan Russo, either, despite her portrayal as a dynamic, forceful heroine who has impacted a generation of kickboxers and athletes. Nora makes a series of bad decisions and seems oddly obsessed with Logan for no real reason--a weird focus that is never really explained. She has a past that has led her to her role in forensic accounting, but it never really leads to much in the end. Greg is a focused businessman on the outs with his wife, and I never felt much sympathy with him. And Logan, as mentioned, who is supposed to be the core of this book, just falls flat until nearly the end of the novel.
"For forty years she'd been invisible, a quality she'd not only taken for granted, but turned into her greatest asset. She was the unseen eye, the counter nobody counted, who wove numbers into dark and avaricious stories."
Overall, the book is just weird. I feel bad putting that in a review without much further explanation, but I don't want to put spoilers. It's strange. Yes, it's compelling, in some ways, but I never felt like I needed to get back to reading it. I was interested about what happened to the money, but also had a good inkling early on about what really went down (and was proved right). Maybe if you connect more with the characters, this will be a true page-turner. It's still a tense read and different, for sure. I did enjoy the ending, and I actually felt something for the characters there. Therefore, this one squeaks by at 3 stars.
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Phillip McSween (751 KP) rated Crank (2006) in Movies
Jun 26, 2020
Quick Pacing, Bad Movie
When a former hitman’s enemies inject him with a lethal poison that will stop his heart if it goes below an active rate, that hitman Chev Chelios is on a race to find the antidote while keeping his heart pumping at the same time.
Acting: 10
I could think of worse actors to play the role of Chev outside of Jason Statham. He seems like he was made for this type of movie. He brings a successful intensity to the role that kicks the movie into a new gear. Unfortunately it wasn’t enough to save the film as a whole. While other performances didn’t necessarily warrant a 10, Chev is pretty much the entire centerpiece so I’m basing the score off Statham’s performance alone.
Beginning: 10
I honestly didn’t hate how the movie began. It actually gets off to a pretty fast start only to let me down later. If only I knew what I was getting myself into.
Characters: 1
Cinematography/Visuals: 7
For what' it’s worth, the film does a good job of making you feel like you are in Chelios’ shoes. The camera relies on close up shots and jarring movement when Chelios has to “charge up”. The action is also captured fairly well, giving you a true sense of being in the moment.
Conflict: 10
Consistent action abounds throughout the movie. In addition to Chelios kicking much ass, there’s also the matter of him trying to keep his heart pumping while he finds the antidote. There is more than enough conflict to drive the story.
Entertainment Value: 6
While there are flashes of greatness in Crank, much of it is hyped up hyperbole so extreme it makes the movie really hard to get into. I lost count of the number of times I rolled my eyes throughout the movie. What did intrigue me throughout was just how much crazier the movie could potentially get.
Memorability: 4
Pace: 10
Plot: 0
What a dumbass story. That is all.
Resolution: 6
I give it props for an inventive ending. However, it wasn’t a successful resolution in my opinion. We followed Chelios on this entire journey for it to come to this? Nah, just…nah.
Overall: 64
You could tell this movie was going to be a mess from the trailer. Surprisingly enough it has a positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes and it seems to have a cult following. I really don’t get it, even as an action lover. It’s a pass for me.
Acting: 10
I could think of worse actors to play the role of Chev outside of Jason Statham. He seems like he was made for this type of movie. He brings a successful intensity to the role that kicks the movie into a new gear. Unfortunately it wasn’t enough to save the film as a whole. While other performances didn’t necessarily warrant a 10, Chev is pretty much the entire centerpiece so I’m basing the score off Statham’s performance alone.
Beginning: 10
I honestly didn’t hate how the movie began. It actually gets off to a pretty fast start only to let me down later. If only I knew what I was getting myself into.
Characters: 1
Cinematography/Visuals: 7
For what' it’s worth, the film does a good job of making you feel like you are in Chelios’ shoes. The camera relies on close up shots and jarring movement when Chelios has to “charge up”. The action is also captured fairly well, giving you a true sense of being in the moment.
Conflict: 10
Consistent action abounds throughout the movie. In addition to Chelios kicking much ass, there’s also the matter of him trying to keep his heart pumping while he finds the antidote. There is more than enough conflict to drive the story.
Entertainment Value: 6
While there are flashes of greatness in Crank, much of it is hyped up hyperbole so extreme it makes the movie really hard to get into. I lost count of the number of times I rolled my eyes throughout the movie. What did intrigue me throughout was just how much crazier the movie could potentially get.
Memorability: 4
Pace: 10
Plot: 0
What a dumbass story. That is all.
Resolution: 6
I give it props for an inventive ending. However, it wasn’t a successful resolution in my opinion. We followed Chelios on this entire journey for it to come to this? Nah, just…nah.
Overall: 64
You could tell this movie was going to be a mess from the trailer. Surprisingly enough it has a positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes and it seems to have a cult following. I really don’t get it, even as an action lover. It’s a pass for me.