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Merissa (13169 KP) rated The Briton and the Dane: Concordia in Books
Dec 17, 2018
This is one of those books that, going from the synopsis, I thought I would love. It sounded intriguing, interesting and full of action. However, what I got is definitely not for me. I read a lot of historical genre and love the medieval period - that is what gives this book the two stars. The descriptions given deliver a world of bygone times to you, everything described is richly detailed from the clothing to the fighting.
What I didn't like at all about this book was the main female character. We get from the synopsis that she is willful, vain, ambitious and cunning. What I wasn't expecting was just how much of a spoilt brat she was. Now perhaps this is exactly the reaction the author wanted but for me personally, Concordia spoilt the rest of the book that much that I had to force myself to finish it. And the ending? I was happy about it! What I wasn't happy about was how much influence she still had over these people once she had gone. But anyhow...
I didn't read anything about feminine cunning or her defending her honour. I read how she was 'forced' but then enjoyed it so carried on some more until she got passed onto the next brother, who also forced her but 'that didn't matter'.
I'm sorry, I know this book has some rave reviews and I'm fully expecting this to get downvoted on Amazon but with a main character like this, it just did absolutely nothing for me. The historical side of it - beautiful, rich in detail and description, a joy to read. The character - forget it, not for me. My apologies to the author for the two stars but that is the most generous I can be. I definitely won't be reading any more of this series.
What I didn't like at all about this book was the main female character. We get from the synopsis that she is willful, vain, ambitious and cunning. What I wasn't expecting was just how much of a spoilt brat she was. Now perhaps this is exactly the reaction the author wanted but for me personally, Concordia spoilt the rest of the book that much that I had to force myself to finish it. And the ending? I was happy about it! What I wasn't happy about was how much influence she still had over these people once she had gone. But anyhow...
I didn't read anything about feminine cunning or her defending her honour. I read how she was 'forced' but then enjoyed it so carried on some more until she got passed onto the next brother, who also forced her but 'that didn't matter'.
I'm sorry, I know this book has some rave reviews and I'm fully expecting this to get downvoted on Amazon but with a main character like this, it just did absolutely nothing for me. The historical side of it - beautiful, rich in detail and description, a joy to read. The character - forget it, not for me. My apologies to the author for the two stars but that is the most generous I can be. I definitely won't be reading any more of this series.
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated X-Men: The Last Stand (2006) in Movies
Jul 4, 2019 (Updated Jul 30, 2019)
It's all just a bit...meh
The Last Stand is not completely awful, but there is an absolutely huge setback here - the writers tried to cram the epic Dark Phoenix saga into one film.
Couple this with an interrupted production and you have a messy result.
A fair amount of what is likable about the first two is still intact - the strongest asset here being the strong cast, doing their absolute best with a sub par script and story.
As for newcomers - Kelsey Grammer is a welcome addition as Beast, as is Ellen Page as Shadowcat - unfortunately Angel is pretty wasted here, as are characters like Psylocke, who is relegated to an extended cameo. Whoever decided to cast Vinnie Jones as Juggernaut deserves a good slapping.
The Dark Phoenix storyline in the comics is pretty epic, a lot of it takes place in space, and the tragedy of the X-Men fighting one of their own is fleshed out very well - something that the movie adaption practically ignores. After being hinted at the end of X2, Jean Grey is promptly bought back, and turns to the dark side very quickly, without any real build up.
Some character story arcs are concluded abruptly and in emotionless ways, as the film just sort of limps along to a pretty underwhelming conclusion.
Bryan Singer left production midway through to helm Superman Returns, and it shows.
The slickness and solid narrative of X2 is replaced by a choppy mess, full of quips that don't land ("I'm the Juggernaut bitch" anyone!?), and Brett Ratners involvement was just a misfire.
This particular comic arc deserves so much better (and judging by what I've heard about the 2019 effort, this is still the case!)
Couple this with an interrupted production and you have a messy result.
A fair amount of what is likable about the first two is still intact - the strongest asset here being the strong cast, doing their absolute best with a sub par script and story.
As for newcomers - Kelsey Grammer is a welcome addition as Beast, as is Ellen Page as Shadowcat - unfortunately Angel is pretty wasted here, as are characters like Psylocke, who is relegated to an extended cameo. Whoever decided to cast Vinnie Jones as Juggernaut deserves a good slapping.
The Dark Phoenix storyline in the comics is pretty epic, a lot of it takes place in space, and the tragedy of the X-Men fighting one of their own is fleshed out very well - something that the movie adaption practically ignores. After being hinted at the end of X2, Jean Grey is promptly bought back, and turns to the dark side very quickly, without any real build up.
Some character story arcs are concluded abruptly and in emotionless ways, as the film just sort of limps along to a pretty underwhelming conclusion.
Bryan Singer left production midway through to helm Superman Returns, and it shows.
The slickness and solid narrative of X2 is replaced by a choppy mess, full of quips that don't land ("I'm the Juggernaut bitch" anyone!?), and Brett Ratners involvement was just a misfire.
This particular comic arc deserves so much better (and judging by what I've heard about the 2019 effort, this is still the case!)
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated X-Men Origins - Wolverine (2009) in Movies
Jul 10, 2019
A low point for the X-Men franchise
X-Men Origins: Wolverine is an awful awful film, for many reasons.
Firstly - no one really seems to be too enthusiastic about what they're doing. Hugh Jackman, Liev Schreiber, and Danny Huston do the best with the piss-poor script, but everyone else just seems to be going through the motions.
Secondly - the characters. This movie contains not one, but two fan favourite X-Men characters, making their big screen debut, just to be thrown under the bus. Gambit for starters, is a shadow of the character he is in the comic - Taylor Kitsch just being himself, whilst getting one very brief action scene that hardly shows off his powers.
The other character is of course Deadpool - Ryan Reynolds is entertaining enough throughout the opening scene - but when we're introduced to the proper Deadpool near the climax of the film... Words truly fail me, it's just embarrassing.
Thirdly - what the hell on Earth is going on with the CGI in this movie? This is the fourth X-Men film and the effects are worse than ever. Wolverines claws look like a child had just drawn over the film.
It's just terrible from start to finish. The fact that the following X-Men Origins: Magneto got cancelled almost immediately after this was released is a example of just how much of a misstep this film was.
There are a few positives though - the opening montage of Logan fighting in different wars throughout history was pretty cool, Liev Schreiber is a welcome addition as Sabretooth after Tyler Mane in the original X-Men movie, and the best thing about this film? The adaption of Deadpool was so abysmal that Ryan Reynolds took it upon himself to eventually get a proper Deadpool movie rolling.
Final thought - please don't let Will.I.Am near anymore movie sets, thanks.
Firstly - no one really seems to be too enthusiastic about what they're doing. Hugh Jackman, Liev Schreiber, and Danny Huston do the best with the piss-poor script, but everyone else just seems to be going through the motions.
Secondly - the characters. This movie contains not one, but two fan favourite X-Men characters, making their big screen debut, just to be thrown under the bus. Gambit for starters, is a shadow of the character he is in the comic - Taylor Kitsch just being himself, whilst getting one very brief action scene that hardly shows off his powers.
The other character is of course Deadpool - Ryan Reynolds is entertaining enough throughout the opening scene - but when we're introduced to the proper Deadpool near the climax of the film... Words truly fail me, it's just embarrassing.
Thirdly - what the hell on Earth is going on with the CGI in this movie? This is the fourth X-Men film and the effects are worse than ever. Wolverines claws look like a child had just drawn over the film.
It's just terrible from start to finish. The fact that the following X-Men Origins: Magneto got cancelled almost immediately after this was released is a example of just how much of a misstep this film was.
There are a few positives though - the opening montage of Logan fighting in different wars throughout history was pretty cool, Liev Schreiber is a welcome addition as Sabretooth after Tyler Mane in the original X-Men movie, and the best thing about this film? The adaption of Deadpool was so abysmal that Ryan Reynolds took it upon himself to eventually get a proper Deadpool movie rolling.
Final thought - please don't let Will.I.Am near anymore movie sets, thanks.
Leigh J (71 KP) rated From Dusk Till Dawn (1996) in Movies
Nov 13, 2019
Bloody Brilliant!
Seth and Richie Gecko are criminals who have escaped Prison and are on the run. They are staying in a Hotel trying to think of a way to get into Mexico, where a criminal friend is waiting for them at a Bar, and from there they are starting a new life. At the Hotel there is a Pastor and his Son and Daughter who have arrived in a Mobile Home; Seth sees this and holds the family hostage until he's met with his friend at the Bar over the border. They just manage by the skin of their teeth to get past the Mexican border and are onward to the Bar... which turns out to be a sleazy Biker Bar called the Titty Twister. When they get into the Titty Twister; the Gecko Brothers love this place, full of fighting, Tequila and topless dancing women. But when a violent and bloody confrontation between the Gecko Brothers and the Titty Twister Security happens, the many members of Staff show their true colours... and it means the Brothers and his hostages are going to have to fight for their lives the whole night.
I LOVE From Dusk Till Dawn. I've seen it so many times now and I think it's amazing everytime. Robert Rodriguez has given a unique lease of life to Horror and teamed it with quite the "Cops 'N' Robbers" storyline. It's an extremely visual movie; especially when you get into the Titty Twister and all the chaos happens, and speaking of that, I love how chaotic it is in the Titty Twister. It seems like there's always something happening and there's little background details that you pick up everytime you watch it. It's a wonderful, wonderful Horror Movie and I will definitely be watching it again and again. Bloodcurlingly awesome!!
I LOVE From Dusk Till Dawn. I've seen it so many times now and I think it's amazing everytime. Robert Rodriguez has given a unique lease of life to Horror and teamed it with quite the "Cops 'N' Robbers" storyline. It's an extremely visual movie; especially when you get into the Titty Twister and all the chaos happens, and speaking of that, I love how chaotic it is in the Titty Twister. It seems like there's always something happening and there's little background details that you pick up everytime you watch it. It's a wonderful, wonderful Horror Movie and I will definitely be watching it again and again. Bloodcurlingly awesome!!
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated The Descent (2005) in Movies
Nov 23, 2019 (Updated Nov 23, 2019)
I remember first watching The Descent not long after it came out. I was in my late teens and it was smack bang in the middle of a weird time for horror, where there was just a lot of dross being fired out every other week.
The Descent was a breath of fresh air in that respect. The set up hooks you in almost immediately, with an familiar yet effective tragedy strikes Sarah, one of our heroines. A while later, a group of friends manage convince Sarah to join them on a vacation in North Carolina, where they plan to explore an underground cave system.
You know how these things go by now - everything goes wrong and before long, the group are fighting to survive.
The thing is, it takes a while for the Descent to show it's true hand when it comes to anything other worldly. It's effectively scary before any monsters show up, using extreme claustrophobia, and low visibility to throw the viewer into the tense unknown.
The first time you see a monster made me jump out of my seat, and jump scares don't get me very often. From there in out, the movie shifts from subtle horror, to all out terror and panic. It's all pretty thrilling.
The all female cast are great. They feel real and relatable, and sell the situation perfectly.
It's Neil Marshall showing that he does know what he's doing in his otherwise mixed bag of a back catalogue.
Some of the effects used are looking pretty dated by this point, but it's not enough to detract from an otherwise positive horror experience, and of course, that ending... (I believe it was changed for US audiences). It's bleak and ballsy and adds a cherry on top. Definitely worth seeking out the unchanged version if you like horror!
The Descent was a breath of fresh air in that respect. The set up hooks you in almost immediately, with an familiar yet effective tragedy strikes Sarah, one of our heroines. A while later, a group of friends manage convince Sarah to join them on a vacation in North Carolina, where they plan to explore an underground cave system.
You know how these things go by now - everything goes wrong and before long, the group are fighting to survive.
The thing is, it takes a while for the Descent to show it's true hand when it comes to anything other worldly. It's effectively scary before any monsters show up, using extreme claustrophobia, and low visibility to throw the viewer into the tense unknown.
The first time you see a monster made me jump out of my seat, and jump scares don't get me very often. From there in out, the movie shifts from subtle horror, to all out terror and panic. It's all pretty thrilling.
The all female cast are great. They feel real and relatable, and sell the situation perfectly.
It's Neil Marshall showing that he does know what he's doing in his otherwise mixed bag of a back catalogue.
Some of the effects used are looking pretty dated by this point, but it's not enough to detract from an otherwise positive horror experience, and of course, that ending... (I believe it was changed for US audiences). It's bleak and ballsy and adds a cherry on top. Definitely worth seeking out the unchanged version if you like horror!
Veronica Pena (690 KP) rated Why Did I Get Married Too (2010) in Movies
Mar 5, 2020 (Updated Mar 5, 2020)
Part of me almost likes this film more than the first one. I feel like we know the couples a little more, versus the first movie where we meet them in the middle of their marriages, fighting, trying to find each other again. We come out of that film into this one and we see the growth but we still see some problems. You have a better understanding of their dynamics but still questioning some things. The overall arc of this film wasn't very clear and I'm not sure if I like that or if I found it frustrating - I think somewhere in between. I don't like the inconsistency of the characters, it just felt like the whole situation with Patricia and Gavin came out of left field and then we never really got anywhere with it. And then the scene where Gavin is drunk? Just uncomfortable to watch. I feel like that was supposed to be a scene that really meant something, we were supposed to see Gavin and Patricia's disconnect or Gavin's pain or Patricia's lack of pain, I don't know. That all feels like speculation that isn't quite hitting the mark. It was just an unnecessary scene and one that is wildly uncomfortable to watch.
I'm torn about this film. I like it, I think it's good. The plot is just a bit weird and the various relationships and the ways that they function are obviously unhealthy. I also hate the ending. I think it was horrible and then DJ? WEIRD. I think in writing this review I've realized I like the first one more, this one was sucky. Patricia was the character that made me feel it the most. I don't know. I'll end up watching this film again whenever I watch the first one. *facepalm*
I'm torn about this film. I like it, I think it's good. The plot is just a bit weird and the various relationships and the ways that they function are obviously unhealthy. I also hate the ending. I think it was horrible and then DJ? WEIRD. I think in writing this review I've realized I like the first one more, this one was sucky. Patricia was the character that made me feel it the most. I don't know. I'll end up watching this film again whenever I watch the first one. *facepalm*
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Homefront (2013) in Movies
Aug 6, 2019
The new movie Homefront stars Jason Statham (Phil Broker), James Franco (Gator Bodine), Winona Ryder (Sheryl Gott), Kate Bosworth (Cassie Bodine), Chuck Zito (Danny T), Omar Benson Miller (Tito), Izabela Vidovic (Maddy Broker).
Written by Sylvestor Stallone. The film opens with a major drug bust going down, and inside undercover DEA agent Phil Broker (Statham) gives chase to the head of the drug ring and his son. While trying to arrest the father and son team, the son is shot to death, and his father promises to kill Broker and his children.
The rest of the movie takes place a few years later in a small town in Louisiana, where a now widowed Broker and his pre-teen daughter have moved to rebuild their life. An entire series of events is set off by Broker’s daughter standing up for herself against the school bully. The bully’s mother Cassie, demands an apology and doesn’t get one enough to her liking. She escalates the situation by going to her brother, Gator, who is the town’s resident “drug kingpin”.
After Gator discovers that Broker is actually an ex-undercover DEA agent, he tries to use that information as leverage to gain business ground for his drug running enterprise, and that’s where the rest of the movie plays out.
There are a lot of action and shooting scenes, which is what one would expect from a Statham movie, but it is still pretty predictable. Once Gator brings in the “big dogs” from the city, things quickly escalate and spin out of his control. The remainder of the movie is one gun fight after another, interspersed with chase scenes, swearing, explosions and hand to hand fighting. If you’re a fan of Statham, then there are really no surprises here. If you know to expect the movie’s complete predictability and his somewhat stiff acting, you’ll enjoy it.
Written by Sylvestor Stallone. The film opens with a major drug bust going down, and inside undercover DEA agent Phil Broker (Statham) gives chase to the head of the drug ring and his son. While trying to arrest the father and son team, the son is shot to death, and his father promises to kill Broker and his children.
The rest of the movie takes place a few years later in a small town in Louisiana, where a now widowed Broker and his pre-teen daughter have moved to rebuild their life. An entire series of events is set off by Broker’s daughter standing up for herself against the school bully. The bully’s mother Cassie, demands an apology and doesn’t get one enough to her liking. She escalates the situation by going to her brother, Gator, who is the town’s resident “drug kingpin”.
After Gator discovers that Broker is actually an ex-undercover DEA agent, he tries to use that information as leverage to gain business ground for his drug running enterprise, and that’s where the rest of the movie plays out.
There are a lot of action and shooting scenes, which is what one would expect from a Statham movie, but it is still pretty predictable. Once Gator brings in the “big dogs” from the city, things quickly escalate and spin out of his control. The remainder of the movie is one gun fight after another, interspersed with chase scenes, swearing, explosions and hand to hand fighting. If you’re a fan of Statham, then there are really no surprises here. If you know to expect the movie’s complete predictability and his somewhat stiff acting, you’ll enjoy it.
I love a good twist on a classic fairy story. This fairy story was Sleeping Beauty. But what if the true love’s kiss that woke her wasn’t her’s?
In this story a vein Prince is in need of a Princess to marry to rule his kingdom. He hears of the sleeping princess and her beauty, and so decides that she shall be the one he marries. Of course there has to be some source of evil and in this case it’s the royal family’s advisor and holy man – his character remind me a little of Disney’s Jafar (not a bad thing I might add). And so because of the magic and this evil sorcerer’s desire to have the kingdom to himself, our Prince gets into a bit
of bother. He meets a orphan girl and her friend along the way and they set off on the Prince’s quest fighting all evils along the way. I love her character, a “I don’t need a man” heroine. Someone a bit rough around the edges Someone who is quite vocal about his vein and unrealistic views. No need to say their personalities clash a bit. But they teach each other a lot along the way. Their relationship is written well, if you’ve read enough and seen enough love stories you can see where
this relationship will end up.
When Aurora awakes, I must admit I find her character tedious and shallow. I found her quite unrealistic and unbelievable. Prince Phillip was an interesting character to read; honest, sly and manipulative – but not in any malicious way. I actually really enjoyed his character. He I found was written far better than Aurora, and therefore I thought that their characters wouldn’t blend that well. But this story isn’t really about them, is it?
In this story a vein Prince is in need of a Princess to marry to rule his kingdom. He hears of the sleeping princess and her beauty, and so decides that she shall be the one he marries. Of course there has to be some source of evil and in this case it’s the royal family’s advisor and holy man – his character remind me a little of Disney’s Jafar (not a bad thing I might add). And so because of the magic and this evil sorcerer’s desire to have the kingdom to himself, our Prince gets into a bit
of bother. He meets a orphan girl and her friend along the way and they set off on the Prince’s quest fighting all evils along the way. I love her character, a “I don’t need a man” heroine. Someone a bit rough around the edges Someone who is quite vocal about his vein and unrealistic views. No need to say their personalities clash a bit. But they teach each other a lot along the way. Their relationship is written well, if you’ve read enough and seen enough love stories you can see where
this relationship will end up.
When Aurora awakes, I must admit I find her character tedious and shallow. I found her quite unrealistic and unbelievable. Prince Phillip was an interesting character to read; honest, sly and manipulative – but not in any malicious way. I actually really enjoyed his character. He I found was written far better than Aurora, and therefore I thought that their characters wouldn’t blend that well. But this story isn’t really about them, is it?
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