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Awix (3310 KP) rated Deadpool (2016) in Movies
Feb 19, 2018
Not the first R-rated superhero movie, nor the first superhero comedy film, nor even the first movie to feature Ryan Reynolds as Wade Wilson, but it does a good job of appearing to do something new and different, and has lots of good jokes. Garrulous mercenary volunteers for special procedure in attempt to fend off terminal illness; basically ends up with cancer as a super-power.
The plot is really very secondary to the style of the film, anyway, which is all about being very irreverent and transgressive towards the perceived conventions of the superhero movie; there's a bit of a straw man argument being made here, but the action is well staged and it is, as mentioned, very funny. Not the future of the genre, no matter what people may say, but a well-crafted piece of entertainment nevertheless.
The plot is really very secondary to the style of the film, anyway, which is all about being very irreverent and transgressive towards the perceived conventions of the superhero movie; there's a bit of a straw man argument being made here, but the action is well staged and it is, as mentioned, very funny. Not the future of the genre, no matter what people may say, but a well-crafted piece of entertainment nevertheless.
Gail (4 KP) rated Twice As Fatal (Jarvis Mann Detective #2) in Books
Jun 4, 2018
Jarvis Mann is back with another amazing adventure. With two cases taking over his life he may have bitten more than he can chew. The author’s writing style is very detailed and visual. I enjoyed reading this book from beginning to end.
The first case has him trying to find a football player. Hired by the father Jarvis sets out and finds Ray. Thinking it’s over a video is threatened to be released if Ray that could destroy his present and future.
The second case his landlord has him following her husband. She thinks he’s either gambling, cheating and taking her money. When Jarvis finds that the husband is connected to the wrong people. Life just got harder.
A must read if you have fallen for Jarvis Mann. This author creates magic with her words and visual detail. Great job!
The first case has him trying to find a football player. Hired by the father Jarvis sets out and finds Ray. Thinking it’s over a video is threatened to be released if Ray that could destroy his present and future.
The second case his landlord has him following her husband. She thinks he’s either gambling, cheating and taking her money. When Jarvis finds that the husband is connected to the wrong people. Life just got harder.
A must read if you have fallen for Jarvis Mann. This author creates magic with her words and visual detail. Great job!
Ross (3284 KP) rated The Affair - Season 1 in TV
Aug 24, 2018
Excellent gripping drama/mystery. The lives of Noah's family and Alison's family become entangled when the bored wannabe author falls for the free spirit, but damaged, waitress. Brilliant depiction of the thrill and excitement of a new relationship but also the hurt inflicted on others as that is revealed.
There is also two timeframes on the go here, which took a little getting used to - one showing the story unravelling, the other future time frame showing the investigation of a murder.
The story is told from two points of view in each episode, giving both characters' sides of the story but also adding in an interesting perspective that each person perceives events differently (what clothes people were wearing, how interactions went etc).
Slightly disappointing ending in that the murder was not solved but this leads nicely in to season 2.
There is also two timeframes on the go here, which took a little getting used to - one showing the story unravelling, the other future time frame showing the investigation of a murder.
The story is told from two points of view in each episode, giving both characters' sides of the story but also adding in an interesting perspective that each person perceives events differently (what clothes people were wearing, how interactions went etc).
Slightly disappointing ending in that the murder was not solved but this leads nicely in to season 2.
Sarah (7800 KP) rated Priest (2011) in Movies
Oct 8, 2018
Stylish but badly executed
This film was such a disappointment. On paper the premise of priests versus vampires sounds like it could be fairly promising, but sadly in reality they just don’t manage to pull it off. Some of the set and costume design is quite good and the cgi is a lot better than I ever would’ve thought on something like this. However the plot is horrendous. It doesn’t make a massive amount of sense and has a very short run time to fit in any explanation. The ending too is also over far too quickly. It touches on how a alternate dystopian future would look if governed by the Church, and this for me was the most interesting part of this entire film. The problem is that they barely touch on this side which is such a shame.
The Marinated Meeple (1853 KP) rated Snowpiercer (2013) in Movies
Oct 30, 2018
So I watched this movie based on the positive reviews....
I get the basic premise.... humanity is down to one single running train, and on that train there is a caste system, the poor ride in the back in poverty and the rich ride in front, living it up. Chris Evans must fight his way to the front in a bloody revolt. But I mean this is the very last of humanity, and yet still people are not valued.... I also get that the train is only so big, and must be kept at a perpetually maintained eco-system that is balanced. But yet, how it ended, was so abrupt and painful. They elude to the future, but really seems wasteful on so many levels.
Cumberland (1142 KP) rated Perfectly Normal in Books
Nov 30, 2018
Loved it
* I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my honest review*
This was a great YA read, however I did have a couple of things I didn't like about it. It started off slow, and the teens were a little unrealistic at times.
Other than that the book was great. Things quickly took an unexpected turn making it impossible to put the book down. I also really liked that this book didn't focus on romance. The YA genre usually throws unnecessary teen romance around everywhere, so it was nice to read a book where the characters had other things going on.
I will warn future readers that this book does end in a cliff. I was still satisfied with the ending, but I'm definitely going to pick up the next book as soon as possible.
This was a great YA read, however I did have a couple of things I didn't like about it. It started off slow, and the teens were a little unrealistic at times.
Other than that the book was great. Things quickly took an unexpected turn making it impossible to put the book down. I also really liked that this book didn't focus on romance. The YA genre usually throws unnecessary teen romance around everywhere, so it was nice to read a book where the characters had other things going on.
I will warn future readers that this book does end in a cliff. I was still satisfied with the ending, but I'm definitely going to pick up the next book as soon as possible.
Carma (21 KP) rated The Way You Look Tonight (Seattle Sullivans, #2; The Sullivans, #10) in Books
Jun 17, 2019
Rafe is a private investigator that is quickly burning out. He decides to head out of town and thinks back to his summers at the lake growing up. Arriving at the cabin he sees that time hasn't been kind to the little house but what he sees next door sets his pulse racing.
Brooke can't believe it when she sees Rafe pull up next door after all these years. Growing up, her summers were always spent with the Sullivan family in one way or another. She may have had a little crush on Rafe, ok a big crush but never thought he paid much attention to her in that way.
Rafe and Brooke reminisce about the past while working on their future. Another wonderful Sullivan story for the permanent shelf. I absolutely wish I could someone join this glorious family.
Brooke can't believe it when she sees Rafe pull up next door after all these years. Growing up, her summers were always spent with the Sullivan family in one way or another. She may have had a little crush on Rafe, ok a big crush but never thought he paid much attention to her in that way.
Rafe and Brooke reminisce about the past while working on their future. Another wonderful Sullivan story for the permanent shelf. I absolutely wish I could someone join this glorious family.
"Dear Katniss Everdeen,
I desperately want to be like you ..."
So might read the opening words of my (imaginary) letter written by the protaganist of this series to the protaganist of the (more famous) Hunger Games series, as there are (more than) a few similarities in common: both novels are set in a dystopian future, both feature a female protaganist, both have some PG-rated romance thrown in, and both deal with themes of family.
Actually, on second thoughts: maybe I'm being a bit unfair on Tris Prior - if this novel had come along first (instead of [b:The Hunger Games|2767052|The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games, #1)|Suzanne Collins|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1358275334s/2767052.jpg|2792775]), my imaginary letter may well have started with:
"Dear Tris Prior
I desperately want to be like you ..."
;-)
I desperately want to be like you ..."
So might read the opening words of my (imaginary) letter written by the protaganist of this series to the protaganist of the (more famous) Hunger Games series, as there are (more than) a few similarities in common: both novels are set in a dystopian future, both feature a female protaganist, both have some PG-rated romance thrown in, and both deal with themes of family.
Actually, on second thoughts: maybe I'm being a bit unfair on Tris Prior - if this novel had come along first (instead of [b:The Hunger Games|2767052|The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games, #1)|Suzanne Collins|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1358275334s/2767052.jpg|2792775]), my imaginary letter may well have started with:
"Dear Tris Prior
I desperately want to be like you ..."
;-)
David McK (3600 KP) rated Sword of the Archon (Shader, #1) in Books
Jan 30, 2019
The first in D.P. Prior's 'Shader' series, this is a self-published fantasy that is set upon a future Earth following a post-apocalyptic event in which magic has returned.
While I'm not usually averse to a bit of fantasy every now and then, I have to say: I found this one to be hard going. Despite a promising start, I found it to become somewhat overblown and drawn out and just not that engaging: I never really connected with any of the characters or the situations they faced.
There were times, even, when I was tempted to abandon it altogether / skip chapters, but stuck at it out of sheer bloody-mindedness rather than due to any interest in the story
I'm sorry to say so, but I doubt I'll pick up the second in the series. :(
While I'm not usually averse to a bit of fantasy every now and then, I have to say: I found this one to be hard going. Despite a promising start, I found it to become somewhat overblown and drawn out and just not that engaging: I never really connected with any of the characters or the situations they faced.
There were times, even, when I was tempted to abandon it altogether / skip chapters, but stuck at it out of sheer bloody-mindedness rather than due to any interest in the story
I'm sorry to say so, but I doubt I'll pick up the second in the series. :(
David McK (3600 KP) rated Terminator Omnibus Volume 1 in Books
Jan 30, 2019
I was going to start this by typing out the heavy-bass Terminator intro music, then realised I couldn't quite get it to sound right!
This is a collection of stories released early 90's, after Terminator 2 but before any of the newer entries in the franchise (T3: Rise of the Machines, Terminator: Salvation or Terminator: Genisys), so do show their age a bit.
They all also pretty much follow the same template - a group from the future sent back in time, with Terminator's following or already having been sent back, and then a protracted chase followed by a shoot-out - with the artwork varying between the differing authors/artists.
As a compilation, some of the stories are better than others: my pick for the best, probably, would be the story entitled 'One Shot', which seems to mirror the first film.
This is a collection of stories released early 90's, after Terminator 2 but before any of the newer entries in the franchise (T3: Rise of the Machines, Terminator: Salvation or Terminator: Genisys), so do show their age a bit.
They all also pretty much follow the same template - a group from the future sent back in time, with Terminator's following or already having been sent back, and then a protracted chase followed by a shoot-out - with the artwork varying between the differing authors/artists.
As a compilation, some of the stories are better than others: my pick for the best, probably, would be the story entitled 'One Shot', which seems to mirror the first film.