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DJ Muggs recommended Critical Beatdown by Ultramagnetic MC's in Music (curated)
<i>This eBook was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
Red Queen</i> by Victoria Aveyard is a futuristic, fantasy novel where society is divided by rich and poor; powerful and weak; elite and commoners; Silver and Red. Those with silver blood have magical abilities which make them believe they are more important than the talentless Reds who are forced to live in dilapidated towns and be sent to their deaths in wars they cannot survive.
Mare Barrow is a Red and knows that her future is doomed. Desperate to escape she confides in a stranger and lands herself a serving position in the Silver palace. Suddenly, however, her world is turned upside down after an accident reveals that, although she has red blood, she has a magical ability too. Instead of killing her as she expected, the king and queen force her to pretend she is a Silver, threatening her family if she steps out of line.
Naturally Mare hates the Silvers and involves herself with the Scarlet Guard – a terrorist group of Red rebels. However a complicated love triangle, and a shocking plot twist, puts Mare in even more danger than she bargained for.
The <i>Cinderella</i>-like idea of Mare coming from a poor background yet finding herself a member of the elite is nothing new. The difference here is that Mare does not want anything to do with the Silvers. She does not trust them and is angry about the way they are treating her family and her people.
<i>Red Queen </i>reminds me slightly of a couple of other young adult novels. It is a mishmash of <i>The Selection </i>by Kiera Cass (the poor become elite) and stories such as <i>The Hunger Games</i> (violence, rich verses poor etc.) Therefore this did not feel like a completely original piece of work. Nevertheless it was still exciting and Mare is such an admirable character.
I recommend this novel to readers of fantasy, dystopia and romance as<i> Red Queen</i> combines all three ideas. It is suitable for teenagers and adults alike, and do not let the word “<i>Queen</i>” make you believe that it is going to be overly girly. It will be interesting to see what happens in the next installment of this series – the ending suggests that there will be a lot more fighting!
Red Queen</i> by Victoria Aveyard is a futuristic, fantasy novel where society is divided by rich and poor; powerful and weak; elite and commoners; Silver and Red. Those with silver blood have magical abilities which make them believe they are more important than the talentless Reds who are forced to live in dilapidated towns and be sent to their deaths in wars they cannot survive.
Mare Barrow is a Red and knows that her future is doomed. Desperate to escape she confides in a stranger and lands herself a serving position in the Silver palace. Suddenly, however, her world is turned upside down after an accident reveals that, although she has red blood, she has a magical ability too. Instead of killing her as she expected, the king and queen force her to pretend she is a Silver, threatening her family if she steps out of line.
Naturally Mare hates the Silvers and involves herself with the Scarlet Guard – a terrorist group of Red rebels. However a complicated love triangle, and a shocking plot twist, puts Mare in even more danger than she bargained for.
The <i>Cinderella</i>-like idea of Mare coming from a poor background yet finding herself a member of the elite is nothing new. The difference here is that Mare does not want anything to do with the Silvers. She does not trust them and is angry about the way they are treating her family and her people.
<i>Red Queen </i>reminds me slightly of a couple of other young adult novels. It is a mishmash of <i>The Selection </i>by Kiera Cass (the poor become elite) and stories such as <i>The Hunger Games</i> (violence, rich verses poor etc.) Therefore this did not feel like a completely original piece of work. Nevertheless it was still exciting and Mare is such an admirable character.
I recommend this novel to readers of fantasy, dystopia and romance as<i> Red Queen</i> combines all three ideas. It is suitable for teenagers and adults alike, and do not let the word “<i>Queen</i>” make you believe that it is going to be overly girly. It will be interesting to see what happens in the next installment of this series – the ending suggests that there will be a lot more fighting!
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated Under the Never Sky (Under the Never Sky, #1) in Books
Jan 23, 2020
Original Review posted on <a href="http://bookwyrming-thoughts.blogspot.com/2013/09/review-under-the-never-sky-by-veronica-rossi.html">Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
Note: Formatting may be lost due to copy and paste.
When there's a bit of hoopla and excitement going about a book (even it's the sequel), I always tend to be curious as to why everyone loves the book. I'm literally asking, “What's so great about it? I want to know!”
And then my TBR list grows by a book.
But Under the Never Sky is about a girl named Aria who lives in a futuristic world of Pods and Realms. In that world, she's never seen what's outside the Pods aside from the stories she heard – everything is basically in virtual time. She gets kicked out one day and meets an Outsider named Perry who teaches her the basics to surviving the outside world and needs her help as well.
I like the concept and general idea of the book. Pods? Realms? No one gets hurt in the Realms and you can see your friends without even moving at all with a cool gadget called Smarteyes? Sounds great.
But... I didn't really like it. I was pretty bored from the end of Chapter One and probably would have stopped reading the book from then on out. But there was something there, and I decided to read on to see if my boredom status changed by a magnitude. I was hoping that between the end of Chapter One and the end of the book, my opinions would be a whole lot better.
It didn't change that much, unfortunately. It was just... insipid.
Another thing that I didn't really like? The romance between Aria and Perry. It was too fast.
No, scratch that. Actually, allow me to backtrack by two sentences, before “It was too fast.”
It was perfectly paced for about 80% of the book. But then about 7% or 4 chapters later away from their first kiss, it was just simply too fast for my taste. Much too fast.
Overall, I liked the concept, but Veronica Rossi's debut novel just isn't very right for me and I don't think I'll be continuing on with the next book in the series, Through the Ever Night.
Though I am a bit tempted to.
Convince me well enough to do so and I'll think about it? But the cover is pretty.
Note: Formatting may be lost due to copy and paste.
When there's a bit of hoopla and excitement going about a book (even it's the sequel), I always tend to be curious as to why everyone loves the book. I'm literally asking, “What's so great about it? I want to know!”
And then my TBR list grows by a book.
But Under the Never Sky is about a girl named Aria who lives in a futuristic world of Pods and Realms. In that world, she's never seen what's outside the Pods aside from the stories she heard – everything is basically in virtual time. She gets kicked out one day and meets an Outsider named Perry who teaches her the basics to surviving the outside world and needs her help as well.
I like the concept and general idea of the book. Pods? Realms? No one gets hurt in the Realms and you can see your friends without even moving at all with a cool gadget called Smarteyes? Sounds great.
But... I didn't really like it. I was pretty bored from the end of Chapter One and probably would have stopped reading the book from then on out. But there was something there, and I decided to read on to see if my boredom status changed by a magnitude. I was hoping that between the end of Chapter One and the end of the book, my opinions would be a whole lot better.
It didn't change that much, unfortunately. It was just... insipid.
Another thing that I didn't really like? The romance between Aria and Perry. It was too fast.
No, scratch that. Actually, allow me to backtrack by two sentences, before “It was too fast.”
It was perfectly paced for about 80% of the book. But then about 7% or 4 chapters later away from their first kiss, it was just simply too fast for my taste. Much too fast.
Overall, I liked the concept, but Veronica Rossi's debut novel just isn't very right for me and I don't think I'll be continuing on with the next book in the series, Through the Ever Night.
Though I am a bit tempted to.
Convince me well enough to do so and I'll think about it? But the cover is pretty.
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated Branded (Sinners, #1) in Books
Jan 23, 2020
Original Review posted on <a title="Branded by Abi Ketnet and Missy Kalicicki" href="http://bookwyrming-thoughts.blogspot.com/2013/07/blog-tour-branded-by-abi-ketner-and-missy-kalicicki-review.html">Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
Note: Formatting may be lost due to copy and paste.
<i><b>Disclaimer:</b> A copy was provided for free by the author for the blog tour in exchange for an honest review. The review is not influenced in any way.</i>
So. Branded. It has great potential as a series, and it takes quite a different twist from other dystopian books like The Hunger Games and Divergent. It's the first in the Sinners series, and is about a girl named Lexi Hamilton wrongly accused who lives in a futuristic society where there is no equal justice and a Commander who believes the Seven Deadly Sins are the downfall to society. Those who are accused are taken to live in a place called the Hole and branded with their sin. With danger lurking at any corner, those branded have to fight for their survival every single day.
Branded didn't exactly feel like the first of a series. It felt more of a second, or second to last, or maybe even the last with a possible spin-off in a series rather than the first. For some reason, it felt as though there was another story prior to Branded, even though Abi and Missy gave a decent explanation to Lexi's past that filled in most of the blanks throughout the book.
I loved most of the supporting characters, such as Alyssa, Bruno, Keegan, and Zeus especially (no, not the Thunder God... unless he decided to take on a different form other than human), but the romance between Cole and Lexi also seemed much too quick for my taste (I usually like a good build up, with a few exceptions).
Overall, Branded has a great potential, and would be a great book and series with a few tweaks here and there. It doesn't have a lasting or major impact on me or the type of book where I'll be miserable not knowing what happens for at least a year as I was hoping for, but I do hope that in the end, the innocent peeps in the Hole receive a happy ending (no guarantees. I'm not a mind reader, but it never hurts to hope).
Note: Formatting may be lost due to copy and paste.
<i><b>Disclaimer:</b> A copy was provided for free by the author for the blog tour in exchange for an honest review. The review is not influenced in any way.</i>
So. Branded. It has great potential as a series, and it takes quite a different twist from other dystopian books like The Hunger Games and Divergent. It's the first in the Sinners series, and is about a girl named Lexi Hamilton wrongly accused who lives in a futuristic society where there is no equal justice and a Commander who believes the Seven Deadly Sins are the downfall to society. Those who are accused are taken to live in a place called the Hole and branded with their sin. With danger lurking at any corner, those branded have to fight for their survival every single day.
Branded didn't exactly feel like the first of a series. It felt more of a second, or second to last, or maybe even the last with a possible spin-off in a series rather than the first. For some reason, it felt as though there was another story prior to Branded, even though Abi and Missy gave a decent explanation to Lexi's past that filled in most of the blanks throughout the book.
I loved most of the supporting characters, such as Alyssa, Bruno, Keegan, and Zeus especially (no, not the Thunder God... unless he decided to take on a different form other than human), but the romance between Cole and Lexi also seemed much too quick for my taste (I usually like a good build up, with a few exceptions).
Overall, Branded has a great potential, and would be a great book and series with a few tweaks here and there. It doesn't have a lasting or major impact on me or the type of book where I'll be miserable not knowing what happens for at least a year as I was hoping for, but I do hope that in the end, the innocent peeps in the Hole receive a happy ending (no guarantees. I'm not a mind reader, but it never hurts to hope).
JT (287 KP) rated In Time (2011) in Movies
Mar 10, 2020
I wanted to like this, I really did, but it was a film that failed to go anywhere, and time just slipped away to the end credits. Justin Timberlake is a likeable character, and more favourable as an actor I would say, although he’s certainly got a decent voice as we all know – here, he was singing a bit flat.
He’s immersed in a world where time is literally money, where people are engineered to live one more year after twenty-five. Unless you’re part of the rich elite who enjoy an elongated life of decade after decade, living in another time zone across the city or you’re scrapping for your life in the slums begging for every last second.
The film has a unique plot, but it’s executed poorly, Timberlake’s character Will Salas is implicated in the death of a rich socialite with a lot of time on his hands, of which he gives to Will, then ends his life rather abruptly with nothing more than a ‘don’t waste my time’ scrawled on a window pane.
There may be more to this than meets the eye, but it’s never really delved into with any great conviction. So we’re left with Salas on the run from Raymond Leon (Murphy) a timekeeper with a past, of which is again never touched on too much. Salas has one more trick up his sleeve and takes hostage Sylvia Weis (Seyfried) the daughter of a wealthy businessman, and never was there more a wasted character.
The pair then turn into some kind of Bonnie and Clyde, or Robin Hood and Maid Marian, stealing time from the rich and giving to the poor.
This film was the perfect platform for some potentially futuristic action, but director Andrew Niccol is happy enough to choreograph a few abject car chases and a few punches thrown. Instead we’re left with the poor on screen romance of Salas and Weis which in all honesty is not in the least bit convincing, after a while you’ll be looking down at your own watch and the time ticking past.
Niccol has left a huge amount of questions unanswered, such as why was time replaced by money in the first place? Quite a big question in the grand scheme of things, maybe he just ran out of time?
He’s immersed in a world where time is literally money, where people are engineered to live one more year after twenty-five. Unless you’re part of the rich elite who enjoy an elongated life of decade after decade, living in another time zone across the city or you’re scrapping for your life in the slums begging for every last second.
The film has a unique plot, but it’s executed poorly, Timberlake’s character Will Salas is implicated in the death of a rich socialite with a lot of time on his hands, of which he gives to Will, then ends his life rather abruptly with nothing more than a ‘don’t waste my time’ scrawled on a window pane.
There may be more to this than meets the eye, but it’s never really delved into with any great conviction. So we’re left with Salas on the run from Raymond Leon (Murphy) a timekeeper with a past, of which is again never touched on too much. Salas has one more trick up his sleeve and takes hostage Sylvia Weis (Seyfried) the daughter of a wealthy businessman, and never was there more a wasted character.
The pair then turn into some kind of Bonnie and Clyde, or Robin Hood and Maid Marian, stealing time from the rich and giving to the poor.
This film was the perfect platform for some potentially futuristic action, but director Andrew Niccol is happy enough to choreograph a few abject car chases and a few punches thrown. Instead we’re left with the poor on screen romance of Salas and Weis which in all honesty is not in the least bit convincing, after a while you’ll be looking down at your own watch and the time ticking past.
Niccol has left a huge amount of questions unanswered, such as why was time replaced by money in the first place? Quite a big question in the grand scheme of things, maybe he just ran out of time?
Woody Woodmansey recommended track Life on Mars by David Bowie in Platinum Collection by David Bowie in Music (curated)
Merissa (11800 KP) rated Lady Silver (Warlock Chronicles #1) in Books
Sep 23, 2021
LADY SILVER is the first book in the Warlock Chronicles and we enter a futuristic world that has been split between humans and warlocks, with obvious mistrust and antagonism on both sides. Bryanna and T'Laan have lived their lives on the edge under no one's control but that changes when they are captured by Devon Bastion and taken aboard his ship, Maelstrom.
There is a lot that goes on in this book that isn't explained. I hope it will become clearer in future books but, for this one, it left me wondering what was going on. We have a prologue with someone who has been captured, who drops names like breadcrumbs, and as a reader, I had no idea if I was supposed to remember these names as someone to be important. Then we skip to someone new, and then something new again. It became mostly conjoined as the story went on, but there were still parts that were fragmented and confusing.
T'Laan is the best character here, followed by Glynda. Bryanna gets away with a lot due to her naivete, but Devon? Well, he's certainly a character but I really can't say I like him. Apparently, he has reasons for everything he does, but he is just arrogant and dislikeable most of the time. He is aware that Bryanna has feelings for him, talks about possibly having feelings for her, and then treads all over them with no reason given apart from the obvious "I'm not good enough. It's for her benefit..." He lies and hides the truth, only sharing when it suits him.
I definitely wanted to know more about the Flow and how it works. Yes, I know there are different Elements, but how? What do they do? Are there limits? And the Big Bad? Just what is going on there?
I read this book and enjoyed it but I'm left with more questions than when I started and a healthy dislike of the main male character. Overall, I think this book is good and has the potential to be part of a great series.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
There is a lot that goes on in this book that isn't explained. I hope it will become clearer in future books but, for this one, it left me wondering what was going on. We have a prologue with someone who has been captured, who drops names like breadcrumbs, and as a reader, I had no idea if I was supposed to remember these names as someone to be important. Then we skip to someone new, and then something new again. It became mostly conjoined as the story went on, but there were still parts that were fragmented and confusing.
T'Laan is the best character here, followed by Glynda. Bryanna gets away with a lot due to her naivete, but Devon? Well, he's certainly a character but I really can't say I like him. Apparently, he has reasons for everything he does, but he is just arrogant and dislikeable most of the time. He is aware that Bryanna has feelings for him, talks about possibly having feelings for her, and then treads all over them with no reason given apart from the obvious "I'm not good enough. It's for her benefit..." He lies and hides the truth, only sharing when it suits him.
I definitely wanted to know more about the Flow and how it works. Yes, I know there are different Elements, but how? What do they do? Are there limits? And the Big Bad? Just what is going on there?
I read this book and enjoyed it but I'm left with more questions than when I started and a healthy dislike of the main male character. Overall, I think this book is good and has the potential to be part of a great series.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
5 Minute Movie Guy (379 KP) rated Tomorrowland (2015) in Movies
Jun 29, 2019
With Tomorrowland's lifeless fantasy world, bland characters, second-rate special effects, forced dialogue, and uninspired story, your future will undoubtedly be better off if it doesn't involve watching this movie.
Disney’s Tomorrowland implores us to imagine a world without limitation. One where nothing is impossible, and all of our wildest dreams can come true. (Sounds very trademark Disney, doesn’t it?) In the movie, that world exists in the form of a secret utopian society that has been built by only the brightest of minds. It is a place that exists free of politics and corruption, where people can push the boundaries of possibility as far as their imaginations will take them. Tomorrowland is a world meant to inspire, to evoke wonder, and to nurture creativity. It’s a stunning shame then, that all I ever felt while watching the movie was sheer boredom. For all of its endless opportunity, Tomorrowland ends up being almost completely uninteresting. With Tomorrowland‘s lifeless fantasy world, bland characters, second-rate special effects, forced dialogue, and uninspired story, your own future will undoubtedly be better off if it doesn’t involve ever watching this movie.
With the star talent of George Clooney, the directorial skill of Brad Bird, and the film’s promising trailers, I must admit that I was caught off guard by Tomorrowland‘s lackluster execution. The greatest compliment I can give the film is that it’s blandly passable, but in no area is it particularly good, engaging, or thought-provoking. For being a film that is about celebrating creativity, it sure is lacking in that regard. Tomorrowland itself feels like a poorly-realized pipe dream. It’s supposed to be this wonderfully ingenious world of innovation, but nothing about it struck me as notably exciting or exceptional. From the surface, it looks like your typical futuristic metropolis, complete with jetpacks and flying cars. Beyond that, I couldn’t really tell you what makes Tomorrowland so special, and I believe that’s largely because we’re given so little access to it. The movie treats us as outsiders to this place, and we spend the majority of the film tagging alongside the two main characters as they try to get in, but we’re never given any sort of rewarding payoff once we get there. The world of Tomorrowland is practically nothing more than a shallow, fantasy world facade.
The movie starts off with an uncomfortably awkward recruitment video recorded by Tomorrowland’s two main characters, Frank Walker (George Clooney) and Casey Newton (Britt Robertson), in which they argue over how they should tell their story. It’s a poor attempt at humor with banter that feels entirely forced. If anything, this overly long introduction should have served as an early indicator that I was about to embark on a two-hour snooze-fest. From there we transition to each of their character’s respective origin stories, and their separate journeys that led them to Tomorrowland.
Frank’s story takes us to the 1964 World’s Fair at Disneyland where as a young boy he’s trying to enter with his faulty jetpack creation. His invention is rejected, but he still manages to catch the attention of a girl named Athena, who gives him a special pin with the Tomorrowland logo. Young Frank is ordered to secretly follow her in the theme park, leading to the “It’s A Small World” ride, where he’s magically transported to Tomorrowland. Here we’re given our first glimpse of this futuristic world, but the entire sequence isn’t nearly as fun or awe-inspiring as it should be. Frank takes to the skies in his newly-repaired jetpack and yet this significant moment somehow winds up feeling surprisingly empty. The movie fails to capture that youthful element of whimsy and excitement that comes from discovery.
Next we learn the much more recent story of Casey, an enthusiastic high school student with a passion for making the world a better place. She’s the daughter of a struggling inventor who gets herself in trouble with the law after trying to sabotage the government’s planned demolition of a NASA launch pad. Once bailed out of jail, Casey finds a mysterious Tomorrowland token among her belongings, and upon touching it, she is magically transported to a wheat field with the distinguished metropolis of Tomorrowland in the distance. However, when trying to reach this futuristic city, she finds that boundaries in the real world inhibit her in this golden future world, even though she cannot see them while holding the token. It’s a novel idea, and one of the movie’s better moments, but if you’ve seen the film’s trailers then you’ve already seen most of how it plays out.
The trailers also spoiled Tomorrowland‘s best, and arguably only good action sequence, in which androids invade Frank’s house in an attempt to capture Casey, who possesses that coveted Tomorrowland token. It’s a well-crafted and exciting moment that demonstrates Brad Bird’s talent, but it’s also an unfortunately rare instance of entertainment in what is otherwise a dull film. As for the aforementioned androids, they’re unbelievably cheesy and lame. These robot villains are sourced from the pinnacle of technological advancement, and yet they’re remarkably derivative and hokey. The most original thing about them is that they blink their eyelids alternatively. That’s some real cutting edge creativity right there! To top it off, Tomorrowland even throws in an android-to-human love story for good measure, because why not? Robots need love too, you guys!
You know what the most troubling thing about Tomorrowland is for me? The fact that Brad Bird was the very first choice to direct Star Wars: Episode 7 and he turned it down to make this movie instead. That is almost incomprehensible to me. Even more so when you consider that Tomorrowland features a comic book store scene that is literally brimming with Star Wars props. It’s a decision that may come back to haunt him, but given how poor this movie is, I’m now actually thanking my lucky Death Stars that he’s not the one making the upcoming Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
In the end, Tomorrowland is a movie that I don’t feel any connection to. I wasn’t captivated by the characters or the performances (not even George Clooney could save this one). The plot was a total bore. The sci-fi elements missed the mark. The visuals were mostly just decent, and tended to look more fake than impressive. The underlying message of hope was weak, and please, don’t even get me started on that cliché “two wolves” story that was needlessly tacked in. Nothing about the movie ever reminded me of the actual Tomorrowland from Disneyland Park, nor did it share its level of creativity. The longer the movie went on, the more I wanted it to end. I can honestly tell you that I have had more enjoyment standing in line for two hours for a ride in Disneyland’s Tomorrowland than I ever had while watching this movie. If this is how dull our ideal future is going to be, then sign me up for a front row ticket to the apocalypse where the future belongs to the mad!
(This review was originally posted at 5mmg.com on 5.26.15.)
With the star talent of George Clooney, the directorial skill of Brad Bird, and the film’s promising trailers, I must admit that I was caught off guard by Tomorrowland‘s lackluster execution. The greatest compliment I can give the film is that it’s blandly passable, but in no area is it particularly good, engaging, or thought-provoking. For being a film that is about celebrating creativity, it sure is lacking in that regard. Tomorrowland itself feels like a poorly-realized pipe dream. It’s supposed to be this wonderfully ingenious world of innovation, but nothing about it struck me as notably exciting or exceptional. From the surface, it looks like your typical futuristic metropolis, complete with jetpacks and flying cars. Beyond that, I couldn’t really tell you what makes Tomorrowland so special, and I believe that’s largely because we’re given so little access to it. The movie treats us as outsiders to this place, and we spend the majority of the film tagging alongside the two main characters as they try to get in, but we’re never given any sort of rewarding payoff once we get there. The world of Tomorrowland is practically nothing more than a shallow, fantasy world facade.
The movie starts off with an uncomfortably awkward recruitment video recorded by Tomorrowland’s two main characters, Frank Walker (George Clooney) and Casey Newton (Britt Robertson), in which they argue over how they should tell their story. It’s a poor attempt at humor with banter that feels entirely forced. If anything, this overly long introduction should have served as an early indicator that I was about to embark on a two-hour snooze-fest. From there we transition to each of their character’s respective origin stories, and their separate journeys that led them to Tomorrowland.
Frank’s story takes us to the 1964 World’s Fair at Disneyland where as a young boy he’s trying to enter with his faulty jetpack creation. His invention is rejected, but he still manages to catch the attention of a girl named Athena, who gives him a special pin with the Tomorrowland logo. Young Frank is ordered to secretly follow her in the theme park, leading to the “It’s A Small World” ride, where he’s magically transported to Tomorrowland. Here we’re given our first glimpse of this futuristic world, but the entire sequence isn’t nearly as fun or awe-inspiring as it should be. Frank takes to the skies in his newly-repaired jetpack and yet this significant moment somehow winds up feeling surprisingly empty. The movie fails to capture that youthful element of whimsy and excitement that comes from discovery.
Next we learn the much more recent story of Casey, an enthusiastic high school student with a passion for making the world a better place. She’s the daughter of a struggling inventor who gets herself in trouble with the law after trying to sabotage the government’s planned demolition of a NASA launch pad. Once bailed out of jail, Casey finds a mysterious Tomorrowland token among her belongings, and upon touching it, she is magically transported to a wheat field with the distinguished metropolis of Tomorrowland in the distance. However, when trying to reach this futuristic city, she finds that boundaries in the real world inhibit her in this golden future world, even though she cannot see them while holding the token. It’s a novel idea, and one of the movie’s better moments, but if you’ve seen the film’s trailers then you’ve already seen most of how it plays out.
The trailers also spoiled Tomorrowland‘s best, and arguably only good action sequence, in which androids invade Frank’s house in an attempt to capture Casey, who possesses that coveted Tomorrowland token. It’s a well-crafted and exciting moment that demonstrates Brad Bird’s talent, but it’s also an unfortunately rare instance of entertainment in what is otherwise a dull film. As for the aforementioned androids, they’re unbelievably cheesy and lame. These robot villains are sourced from the pinnacle of technological advancement, and yet they’re remarkably derivative and hokey. The most original thing about them is that they blink their eyelids alternatively. That’s some real cutting edge creativity right there! To top it off, Tomorrowland even throws in an android-to-human love story for good measure, because why not? Robots need love too, you guys!
You know what the most troubling thing about Tomorrowland is for me? The fact that Brad Bird was the very first choice to direct Star Wars: Episode 7 and he turned it down to make this movie instead. That is almost incomprehensible to me. Even more so when you consider that Tomorrowland features a comic book store scene that is literally brimming with Star Wars props. It’s a decision that may come back to haunt him, but given how poor this movie is, I’m now actually thanking my lucky Death Stars that he’s not the one making the upcoming Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
In the end, Tomorrowland is a movie that I don’t feel any connection to. I wasn’t captivated by the characters or the performances (not even George Clooney could save this one). The plot was a total bore. The sci-fi elements missed the mark. The visuals were mostly just decent, and tended to look more fake than impressive. The underlying message of hope was weak, and please, don’t even get me started on that cliché “two wolves” story that was needlessly tacked in. Nothing about the movie ever reminded me of the actual Tomorrowland from Disneyland Park, nor did it share its level of creativity. The longer the movie went on, the more I wanted it to end. I can honestly tell you that I have had more enjoyment standing in line for two hours for a ride in Disneyland’s Tomorrowland than I ever had while watching this movie. If this is how dull our ideal future is going to be, then sign me up for a front row ticket to the apocalypse where the future belongs to the mad!
(This review was originally posted at 5mmg.com on 5.26.15.)
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated Ruby's Fire in Books
Jun 7, 2018
(This review will be available on my blog <a href="http://themisadventuresofatwentysomething.blogspot.com/">The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Something Year Old Girl</a> in August).
You know when you get a book, and it's much better than you thought it was going to be? Well, Ruby's Fire by Catherine Stine was definitely one of those books! I absolutely loved it, and it's definitely one of my favorite books that I've read in 2013!
Ruby is a 17 year old girl who, with her 8 year old brother Thorn, escapes from a cult which pairs young girls with much older men. Ruby and Thorn arrive at a school known as The Greening. Here she meets a whole cast of characters. When an act of bullying goes horribly wrong, Ruby and her brother Thorn are left with extreme changes that alter their DNA. When a contest in announces with a prize of a hefty cash sum, all the students are The Greening are excited! However, this competition reveals that all is not what it seems.
I do like the title, and I find it very interesting! However, I don't really get the meaning of it. Maybe I'm just being thick, but it makes no sense to me.
I think the cover does an amazing job at depicting the plot of the book. In fact, this is one of the best book covers I've ever seen that is actually relevant to the book. Whoever came up with this idea for the cover is a genius!
I enjoyed the setting of this book very much! I like the futuristic/dystopian world that Stine has created. Catherine Stine does an awesome job at making this world come alive. The world in which Ruby lives has become unbearably hot, and people must wear masks and burn suits if they don't want to burn. The author paints a vivid picture of this throughout the book. I can very much see this happening in the future.
The pacing was done really well! Not once in the book did I feel like the pacing was going too slow or too fast for my liking. I couldn't wait to find out what would happen next. If it was possible to eat books by reading them quickly because they are amazing, this would would've been gone in flash!
What an amazing plot! Besides the main plot, there were lots of sub-plots! Will Ruby figure out what is wrong with her and Thorn? Will she choose Armonk or Blane since she cares for both? Can she escape her past? That's just some of the questions answered in the book. Also, there is a fantastic plot twist that I didn't see coming!
All of the characters were written superbly! I loved Ruby and how willing she was to take care of her little brother. Ruby was a very down to Earth character who had went through a lot of hardships. I believe this made her a better person. What I didn't like about her was the fact that she kept going on about how beautiful she was. However, this is probably just a personal thing. I found Thorn to be so cute!! It would've been interesting to see things from his point of view as the book is told from Ruby's point of view. Armonk seems like such a sweet guy, and I loved how he was willing to defend his friends. I feel like Armonk was an all around nice guy. I really loved Blane! I like how he grew as a person going from a mean brute to a gentle warrior. It was nice to see this change in him. Like Armonk, I loved how he was willing to protect his friends at all cost.
The dialogue was fantastic! It is told in a first person point of view with Ruby being the narrator. I usually don't enjoy first person reads as much as third person ones, but this one was done fantastically! Some books that take place in the future have really cheesy dialogue, but Ruby's Fire wasn't one of those books. The dialogue was also easy to understand with no futuristic terms getting in the way. There are a few swear words though.
Overall, Ruby's Fire by Catherine Stine is such an amazing and interesting read! While it is a part of a series, it can be read as a stand alone. I usually don't read books out of series order because I feel like I'll miss so much information, but this book can actually be read as a standalone without missing much. (The first book in the series talks about a minor character in this book).
I'd recommend this book to those aged 14+ who want some adventure in their life!
I'd give Ruby's Fire by Catherine Stine a 5 out of 5.
(I received a free paperback copy of this book from the author in exchange for a fair and honest review).
You know when you get a book, and it's much better than you thought it was going to be? Well, Ruby's Fire by Catherine Stine was definitely one of those books! I absolutely loved it, and it's definitely one of my favorite books that I've read in 2013!
Ruby is a 17 year old girl who, with her 8 year old brother Thorn, escapes from a cult which pairs young girls with much older men. Ruby and Thorn arrive at a school known as The Greening. Here she meets a whole cast of characters. When an act of bullying goes horribly wrong, Ruby and her brother Thorn are left with extreme changes that alter their DNA. When a contest in announces with a prize of a hefty cash sum, all the students are The Greening are excited! However, this competition reveals that all is not what it seems.
I do like the title, and I find it very interesting! However, I don't really get the meaning of it. Maybe I'm just being thick, but it makes no sense to me.
I think the cover does an amazing job at depicting the plot of the book. In fact, this is one of the best book covers I've ever seen that is actually relevant to the book. Whoever came up with this idea for the cover is a genius!
I enjoyed the setting of this book very much! I like the futuristic/dystopian world that Stine has created. Catherine Stine does an awesome job at making this world come alive. The world in which Ruby lives has become unbearably hot, and people must wear masks and burn suits if they don't want to burn. The author paints a vivid picture of this throughout the book. I can very much see this happening in the future.
The pacing was done really well! Not once in the book did I feel like the pacing was going too slow or too fast for my liking. I couldn't wait to find out what would happen next. If it was possible to eat books by reading them quickly because they are amazing, this would would've been gone in flash!
What an amazing plot! Besides the main plot, there were lots of sub-plots! Will Ruby figure out what is wrong with her and Thorn? Will she choose Armonk or Blane since she cares for both? Can she escape her past? That's just some of the questions answered in the book. Also, there is a fantastic plot twist that I didn't see coming!
All of the characters were written superbly! I loved Ruby and how willing she was to take care of her little brother. Ruby was a very down to Earth character who had went through a lot of hardships. I believe this made her a better person. What I didn't like about her was the fact that she kept going on about how beautiful she was. However, this is probably just a personal thing. I found Thorn to be so cute!! It would've been interesting to see things from his point of view as the book is told from Ruby's point of view. Armonk seems like such a sweet guy, and I loved how he was willing to defend his friends. I feel like Armonk was an all around nice guy. I really loved Blane! I like how he grew as a person going from a mean brute to a gentle warrior. It was nice to see this change in him. Like Armonk, I loved how he was willing to protect his friends at all cost.
The dialogue was fantastic! It is told in a first person point of view with Ruby being the narrator. I usually don't enjoy first person reads as much as third person ones, but this one was done fantastically! Some books that take place in the future have really cheesy dialogue, but Ruby's Fire wasn't one of those books. The dialogue was also easy to understand with no futuristic terms getting in the way. There are a few swear words though.
Overall, Ruby's Fire by Catherine Stine is such an amazing and interesting read! While it is a part of a series, it can be read as a stand alone. I usually don't read books out of series order because I feel like I'll miss so much information, but this book can actually be read as a standalone without missing much. (The first book in the series talks about a minor character in this book).
I'd recommend this book to those aged 14+ who want some adventure in their life!
I'd give Ruby's Fire by Catherine Stine a 5 out of 5.
(I received a free paperback copy of this book from the author in exchange for a fair and honest review).
Gareth von Kallenbach (971 KP) rated I, Robot (2004) in Movies
Aug 14, 2019
Tales of a dark and foreboding future where technology has run amuck have been cautioning viewers ever since Orwell made the phrase “Big Brother” a household expression. Other films such as ?”, “Westworld”, “Blade Runner” and “The Terminator” often show a dark and dangerous future where dependence upon technology created to serve mankind has lead to its eventual downfall.
In the film “I Robot” Director Alex Proyas who’s past work includes “The Crow” and “Dark City” tells the tale of a near future where robots have become commonplace and are entrusted to do all manner of tasks ranging from package delivery to waiting table and caring for households. The robots are assured to be safe as they are governed by a set of behavioral restrictors that require them to obey all human commands save for those to harm another human, as robots are not allowed to harm or by inaction allow to be harmed any human.
The film stars Will Smith as Del Spooner, a Chicago Homicide detective who does not trust robots and is highly suspicious of them. The fact that in 2035 there has yet to be one documented case worldwide of a robot ever being involved in a crime is of little concern to Del as he sees the potential for danger in technology that is so widely spread.
Del is in many ways a technophobe as aside from his modern car, he has a retro lifestyle including an old fashioned alarm clock, vintage 2004 shoes, and a fondness for music from the 1970’s. An incident in Del’s past has kept him off the force for a while and has only furthered his distaste for robotics and their growing place in society.
No sooner is Del back at work than an apparent suicide at U.S. Robotics by a friend sets the film into motion. What to all seems to be an open and shut case of suicide only causes Del to become more suspicious. Del soon discovers a new model robot locked in the office of the victim, who flees from crime scene and refuses to obey the orders to halt given to him.
The fact that the robot ignores command given by a human thus violating his central laws of programming is put off as a simple malfunction by Billionaire Lawrence Robertson (Bruce Greenwood), who does not want Del’s suspicions to disrupt his business plans on the eve of the largest rollout of new robots in history. It is explained that the new NX-5 model is about to be released to the public and soon there will be one robot for every 5 humans in the world and with so much invested in this, Robertson places a gag order on Del and the entire police force to forget about the renegade robot and not say a word to anyone.
Naturally Del does not follow this command and he suspects that there is a larger and much more serious threat posed to the public even though everyone around his says that he is paranoid and desperate to find or create any evidence to support his theory that robots are not as safe as everyone believes they are.
What follows is an action packed game of cat and mouse as Del and a U.S. Robotics scientist named Susan (Bridget Moynahan), start to uncover a deeper mystery, once in which the very world they have taken for granted is about to change.
The film is a visual marvel that shows you a fairly realistic view of the future as aside from the robots and futuristic highways, the world of 2035 does not look that much different than today.
Proyas knows that Smith is his star and he does a great job allowing him to carry the picture without allowing the visual effects to dominate the film, though they are spectacular. The futuristic highways and a great chase sequence were highlights of the film and had a surprising amount of tension and drama mixed into what was a solid action sequence.
Smith plays Spooner, as a man with demons yet never ceases to become a sensitive character despite his hard edge. He is a man that is determined to follow his instincts and do what is best for the people he is sworn to protect.
The film does only play lip service to the series of novels by Asimov, but it does tell a very good cautionary tale of human’s interaction and dependence upon technology without becoming preachy or losing site of the message that society must ensure to have a balance between humanity and technology in order to thrive.
If I had to find fault, it would be that many of the supporting roles were fairly bland, as Moynahan was not given much to do aside from play a Damsel in distress and the always solid James Cromwell and Bruce Greenwood were not used nearly enough. That being said “I Robot” delivers everything you want in a summer film and more.
In the film “I Robot” Director Alex Proyas who’s past work includes “The Crow” and “Dark City” tells the tale of a near future where robots have become commonplace and are entrusted to do all manner of tasks ranging from package delivery to waiting table and caring for households. The robots are assured to be safe as they are governed by a set of behavioral restrictors that require them to obey all human commands save for those to harm another human, as robots are not allowed to harm or by inaction allow to be harmed any human.
The film stars Will Smith as Del Spooner, a Chicago Homicide detective who does not trust robots and is highly suspicious of them. The fact that in 2035 there has yet to be one documented case worldwide of a robot ever being involved in a crime is of little concern to Del as he sees the potential for danger in technology that is so widely spread.
Del is in many ways a technophobe as aside from his modern car, he has a retro lifestyle including an old fashioned alarm clock, vintage 2004 shoes, and a fondness for music from the 1970’s. An incident in Del’s past has kept him off the force for a while and has only furthered his distaste for robotics and their growing place in society.
No sooner is Del back at work than an apparent suicide at U.S. Robotics by a friend sets the film into motion. What to all seems to be an open and shut case of suicide only causes Del to become more suspicious. Del soon discovers a new model robot locked in the office of the victim, who flees from crime scene and refuses to obey the orders to halt given to him.
The fact that the robot ignores command given by a human thus violating his central laws of programming is put off as a simple malfunction by Billionaire Lawrence Robertson (Bruce Greenwood), who does not want Del’s suspicions to disrupt his business plans on the eve of the largest rollout of new robots in history. It is explained that the new NX-5 model is about to be released to the public and soon there will be one robot for every 5 humans in the world and with so much invested in this, Robertson places a gag order on Del and the entire police force to forget about the renegade robot and not say a word to anyone.
Naturally Del does not follow this command and he suspects that there is a larger and much more serious threat posed to the public even though everyone around his says that he is paranoid and desperate to find or create any evidence to support his theory that robots are not as safe as everyone believes they are.
What follows is an action packed game of cat and mouse as Del and a U.S. Robotics scientist named Susan (Bridget Moynahan), start to uncover a deeper mystery, once in which the very world they have taken for granted is about to change.
The film is a visual marvel that shows you a fairly realistic view of the future as aside from the robots and futuristic highways, the world of 2035 does not look that much different than today.
Proyas knows that Smith is his star and he does a great job allowing him to carry the picture without allowing the visual effects to dominate the film, though they are spectacular. The futuristic highways and a great chase sequence were highlights of the film and had a surprising amount of tension and drama mixed into what was a solid action sequence.
Smith plays Spooner, as a man with demons yet never ceases to become a sensitive character despite his hard edge. He is a man that is determined to follow his instincts and do what is best for the people he is sworn to protect.
The film does only play lip service to the series of novels by Asimov, but it does tell a very good cautionary tale of human’s interaction and dependence upon technology without becoming preachy or losing site of the message that society must ensure to have a balance between humanity and technology in order to thrive.
If I had to find fault, it would be that many of the supporting roles were fairly bland, as Moynahan was not given much to do aside from play a Damsel in distress and the always solid James Cromwell and Bruce Greenwood were not used nearly enough. That being said “I Robot” delivers everything you want in a summer film and more.