Search
Search results
Sarah (7800 KP) rated Jumanji: The Next Level (2019) in Movies
Jan 8, 2020
Second rate sequel
I'm probably the only person who didn't really rate the first film in this reboot series. Yes it was better than I expected but not great, although having watched this sequel I can definitely now appreciate the first film.
This is by far a second rate sequel. The whole plot and game premise offered is just a little dull and predictable, and the bad guy is this is even less threatening in the first film (which is a shame seen as he's Rory McCann). They've tried to go even more extravagant with the set pieces and action scenes, but it doesn't quite hide the fact that the plot is fairly weak. Which is a shame as seeing the gang all back together again is actually quite fun. The way they've done the avatars this time round started off ridiculously funny, but there are a couple of characters who soon get very irritating very quickly. Thankfully we've got Jack Black who really shines in this no matter who he is, and he at least makes up for some of the more irritating characters. The inclusion of Danny DeVito and Danny Glover seemed entirely unnecessary.
Overall this was a vaguely enjoyable film but despite it's runtime being less than 2 hours, really seemed to drag. And I hate how they've set it up for yet another sequel.
This is by far a second rate sequel. The whole plot and game premise offered is just a little dull and predictable, and the bad guy is this is even less threatening in the first film (which is a shame seen as he's Rory McCann). They've tried to go even more extravagant with the set pieces and action scenes, but it doesn't quite hide the fact that the plot is fairly weak. Which is a shame as seeing the gang all back together again is actually quite fun. The way they've done the avatars this time round started off ridiculously funny, but there are a couple of characters who soon get very irritating very quickly. Thankfully we've got Jack Black who really shines in this no matter who he is, and he at least makes up for some of the more irritating characters. The inclusion of Danny DeVito and Danny Glover seemed entirely unnecessary.
Overall this was a vaguely enjoyable film but despite it's runtime being less than 2 hours, really seemed to drag. And I hate how they've set it up for yet another sequel.
Tim McGuire (301 KP) rated The Gentlemen (2020) in Movies
Mar 3, 2020
Loved It!!
395. The Gentlemen. Well alright, alright!! The first 5 or so minutes were kind of jumbled, my universal translator wasn't recognizing the cockney language right away. The McConaissance continues, he's usually the stoner but now, he's the big guy in charge of "Bush" game over in the UK. And now he's getting ready to retire and sell his herb empire, and he seems to be good to go, until some other interested buyers, or takers come into play, but when the cool calm and collected Mickey Pearson is pushed into a corner, well, first of all, you only think you pushed him into a corner and two he's gonna push back! Great movie from Guy Ritchie, more along the lines of Snatch than his recent gems like the Aladdin, King Arthur, Man from Uncle, or remember that time Madonna and him were together so he was forced by God to put her in a movie called Swept Away? Ugh... This is the kind of movie he shines, each character explodes on the screen. My favorite had to be Colin Farrell as Coach, and yes he is a basketball coach, and he does jobs for the organization and for fun beats up unruly teens. Hugh Grant was also great as a sleazeball, bribing journalist/wanna be screen writer.. Great flick, go check it out! Filmbufftim on FB
Tim McGuire (301 KP) rated Little Monsters (2019) in Movies
Mar 3, 2020
Shes so cute tho...
387. Little Monsters. Nope it's not a remake of the Fred Savage 80s flick. Instead this is the 'Life Is Beautiful' for the zombie genre. And it was pretty sweet! We meet Dave, a down on his luck musician, broke up with the girl, band broke up, has to live with his sister and her young son. (Dave reminded me of a Andy Dwyer type, Park n Rec fans? Anyone, anyone?) To pull his weight around his sisters house, he takes his nephew, Felix, to school, and there he meets and is instantly infatuated with Felix's teacher Miss Caroline, with reason, she's played by Lupita Nyong'o!! One thing leads to another and Dave finds himself as a chaperone for the next field trip to the local zoo, which just happens to be next to a military research facility, which so happens to be suffering from a zombie outbreak at the time. As you may have guessed these zombies find their way to the zoo, and yep hell breaks loose. However, the kiddos are completely oblivious to this thanks to Miss Caroline convincing them its all just a game! It was a very well done comedy zombie flick. Rounding out the cast is Josh Gad playing a kids tv show host, he is great! Worth the watch!! Filmbufftim on FB
JT (287 KP) rated Crawl (2019) in Movies
Mar 10, 2020
I was pleasantly surprised by Crawl. For one, it’s a monster movie. Two, it has a decent plot with characters you care about seeing survive. And three, it’s very well shot with some great CGI. The film opens with Haley (Kaya Scodelario) psyching herself up to compete in the pool, proof that her ability to swim and swim fast will not be found wanting later on.
When her sister calls to tell her that she has not heard from their father (Barry Pepper), Hayley heads towards a brewing category five Hurricane to see if all is OK – which it’s not.
Turns out that daddy has had a run-in with a couple of hungry alligators and only the confines of the underground basement has prevented him from becoming a quick snack. With floodwaters rising by the minute Hayley the ‘apex predator’ has to get her game face on to fend off another impending attack.
Sharks have always been at the forefront of water-based terror so it’s nice to see the alligator making a return. There is some neat jump scares coupled with good amounts of gore, but it rarely raises the tension levels any more than that.
Acting-wise Scodelario and Pepper do an alright job and there is an inkling of a back story to shed light on their slightly troubled relationship and competitive edge.
When her sister calls to tell her that she has not heard from their father (Barry Pepper), Hayley heads towards a brewing category five Hurricane to see if all is OK – which it’s not.
Turns out that daddy has had a run-in with a couple of hungry alligators and only the confines of the underground basement has prevented him from becoming a quick snack. With floodwaters rising by the minute Hayley the ‘apex predator’ has to get her game face on to fend off another impending attack.
Sharks have always been at the forefront of water-based terror so it’s nice to see the alligator making a return. There is some neat jump scares coupled with good amounts of gore, but it rarely raises the tension levels any more than that.
Acting-wise Scodelario and Pepper do an alright job and there is an inkling of a back story to shed light on their slightly troubled relationship and competitive edge.
Andy K (10823 KP) rated Charly (1968) in Movies
Aug 3, 2019
Touching, sad and moving
Cliff Robertson won a Best Actor actor in 1968 fr his portrayal of a simple minded man who undergoes an experimental surgery first performed on mice to supposedly increase his intelligence.
Charly is a man who wants better for himself and for his simple life. He tries to do better by constantly challenging himself, but it is no use. He is the butt of jokes at his job at a bakery and he doesn't even know it. He can't even beat a mouse at a maze game given out by his physician friends. When a wild chance arises that could resolve all of Charly's woes, he jumps at the chance.
The operation does seem to be a slow success. His intelligence grows as well as his zest for life, his noticing the little things in live and also an interest in the opposite sex. Will his happiness be temporary or permanent?
The acting and screenplay in this film are superb as well as some interesting split screen camera work. Charly's growth and development are in stark contrast from the beginning of the film through his discovery of knowledge.
I had seen this film in middle school I think after we had read the source material "Flowers for Algernon" so I was anxious to revisit.
So glad I did.
Charly is a man who wants better for himself and for his simple life. He tries to do better by constantly challenging himself, but it is no use. He is the butt of jokes at his job at a bakery and he doesn't even know it. He can't even beat a mouse at a maze game given out by his physician friends. When a wild chance arises that could resolve all of Charly's woes, he jumps at the chance.
The operation does seem to be a slow success. His intelligence grows as well as his zest for life, his noticing the little things in live and also an interest in the opposite sex. Will his happiness be temporary or permanent?
The acting and screenplay in this film are superb as well as some interesting split screen camera work. Charly's growth and development are in stark contrast from the beginning of the film through his discovery of knowledge.
I had seen this film in middle school I think after we had read the source material "Flowers for Algernon" so I was anxious to revisit.
So glad I did.
Leanne Crabtree (480 KP) rated Wither (The Chemical Garden #1) in Books
Jan 6, 2021
This book has an interesting concept: In a future world, something has gone wrong genetics wise and people die young. Girls at 20 and boys at 25, unless you're born a first generation in which you case you live like us now. I was intrigued as to where the storyline was going to go.
And it didn't really go anywhere in truth.
They're trying to find a cure and in the process men marry several girls at a time to reproduce so that they may find a cure eventually and live full length lives.
I'll admit that Linden made me a little sick at one point in the book, in my opinion Cecily was way too young, but later on we learn that he's rather innocent in regards to the outside world.
As for the wives. Well, Cecily did my head in to start with. She was so young but trying to be so mature and it didn't work for me but by the end she'd grown on me a fair bit. Jenna... *sighs* she was pretty cool and I really liked her, from beginning to end. And then Rhine. She knew the game she had to play to survive and she did what was necessary.
I'm not too sure at the minute whether I'm bothered enough to carry on with the series.
And it didn't really go anywhere in truth.
They're trying to find a cure and in the process men marry several girls at a time to reproduce so that they may find a cure eventually and live full length lives.
I'll admit that Linden made me a little sick at one point in the book, in my opinion Cecily was way too young, but later on we learn that he's rather innocent in regards to the outside world.
As for the wives. Well, Cecily did my head in to start with. She was so young but trying to be so mature and it didn't work for me but by the end she'd grown on me a fair bit. Jenna... *sighs* she was pretty cool and I really liked her, from beginning to end. And then Rhine. She knew the game she had to play to survive and she did what was necessary.
I'm not too sure at the minute whether I'm bothered enough to carry on with the series.
Leanne Crabtree (480 KP) rated Vampire Debt (Supernatural Battle: Vampire Towers #2) in Books
Jan 8, 2021
This has been borrowed from the Kindle Unlimited ;Library.
This pretty much carries on from the last with Basi at her grandmothers funeral. Afterwards she learns some things about her grandmother and her estate that has her marvelling at her secretiveness. Basi also has plans for the Indebted. She wants to undergo the fourth blood exchange so she can begin to have a group of Indebted away from the tower so they can have some freedom but the fourth exchange has been given the no go by King Julian.
It does seem to be getting a little complicated this trilogy. There is so much going on at times that I get a little overwhelmed. I won't spoil it by listing things because I think you need to try this series for yourself.
All I want is for Basi and Kyros to get together because the tension and the emotions between them are so high at times. They've've both lied to each other at time so I really don't know if I get Kyros' anger at the end of this.
The game between these two warring families is very likely to destroy everyone if it keeps going for much longer. It needs to come to an end.
I need to finish this trilogy to see how it all ends.
This pretty much carries on from the last with Basi at her grandmothers funeral. Afterwards she learns some things about her grandmother and her estate that has her marvelling at her secretiveness. Basi also has plans for the Indebted. She wants to undergo the fourth blood exchange so she can begin to have a group of Indebted away from the tower so they can have some freedom but the fourth exchange has been given the no go by King Julian.
It does seem to be getting a little complicated this trilogy. There is so much going on at times that I get a little overwhelmed. I won't spoil it by listing things because I think you need to try this series for yourself.
All I want is for Basi and Kyros to get together because the tension and the emotions between them are so high at times. They've've both lied to each other at time so I really don't know if I get Kyros' anger at the end of this.
The game between these two warring families is very likely to destroy everyone if it keeps going for much longer. It needs to come to an end.
I need to finish this trilogy to see how it all ends.
Saoirse Ronan recommended Windy City Heat (2003) in Movies (curated)
Jesters_folly (230 KP) rated Saw II (2005) in Movies
Mar 18, 2021
Contains spoilers, click to show
At first glance, Saw 2 is, like most sequels, more of the same but bigger. We have the police looking for Jigsaw's latest victims and we have the victims themselves playing the games. This time, however the scope is much bigger. The victims are not just chained in one room, they have a whole house to explore and the whole game is much more personal for one of the detectives.
The thing is, Saw 2 manages to add to the law put down in the first film. It expands on Jigsaw's motivation, expands his plans and uses two characters from the first film, Amanda and the 'Pig' and reveals that they were/are the same person. It is these additions to the law that help make the Saw franchise stand out from some others. Other franchises have the slashers going around killing their victims and repeating the same few bits of information unless it is important to that film. Of course, a big part of saw 2 are the kills but it does work on furthering the story and laying the ground work for more films.
It goes with out saying that there is blood and gore in this film but it suites the tone and isn't as over the top or as unrealistic as some other films.
The thing is, Saw 2 manages to add to the law put down in the first film. It expands on Jigsaw's motivation, expands his plans and uses two characters from the first film, Amanda and the 'Pig' and reveals that they were/are the same person. It is these additions to the law that help make the Saw franchise stand out from some others. Other franchises have the slashers going around killing their victims and repeating the same few bits of information unless it is important to that film. Of course, a big part of saw 2 are the kills but it does work on furthering the story and laying the ground work for more films.
It goes with out saying that there is blood and gore in this film but it suites the tone and isn't as over the top or as unrealistic as some other films.
Erika (17789 KP) rated ESPN in Apps
Apr 18, 2021
I have ESPN+ because of the bundle I purchased from Disney+ that included ESPN and Hulu. Initially, I thought I would not watch ESPN+ at all, but it's the service I watch the most due to it having a plethora of European Football games on every weekend.
The app is a POS. It is so absolutely terrible. It's slow, it's counter-intuitive, and overall, just a boondoggled mess. There need to be more options such as filtering out the sports you don't want to watch, i.e. MLB, and any US college sports. Seriously, I watch the Masters over those boring af sports. There also needs to be an option to set alerts when there are games you want to watch, because I missed the live Hibernian game this morning because they buried it at the end of the list behind college basketball games that wouldn't be on for another 5 hours.
Another annoyance concerning this app is organization. It knows I have an ESPN+ subscription, and not the actual channels. Why show me games that I want to watch, only for them to be blocked because I don't buy the channels??? Don't tempt me with FIFA World Cup Qualifiers that I want to watch, then I find out they're not available??
The good thing is that they seem to be attempting to improve it, but it's still unbearable some days.
The app is a POS. It is so absolutely terrible. It's slow, it's counter-intuitive, and overall, just a boondoggled mess. There need to be more options such as filtering out the sports you don't want to watch, i.e. MLB, and any US college sports. Seriously, I watch the Masters over those boring af sports. There also needs to be an option to set alerts when there are games you want to watch, because I missed the live Hibernian game this morning because they buried it at the end of the list behind college basketball games that wouldn't be on for another 5 hours.
Another annoyance concerning this app is organization. It knows I have an ESPN+ subscription, and not the actual channels. Why show me games that I want to watch, only for them to be blocked because I don't buy the channels??? Don't tempt me with FIFA World Cup Qualifiers that I want to watch, then I find out they're not available??
The good thing is that they seem to be attempting to improve it, but it's still unbearable some days.
