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Caffeinated Fae (464 KP) rated Whisper No Lies (Black Ops Inc., #3) in Books
Jul 12, 2018
Yet another great book by Cindy Gerard. I fell in love with the characters and I couldn't put this book down. Cindy Gerard has a wonderful way of creating characters that you will fall in love with. The men are down right sexy and very intelligent. I do wish that the book were longer so that I had more to read. Every time I finish one of these books I have a slight regret that I actually finished it.
Claire Danes recommended Anagrams in Books (curated)
David McK (3453 KP) rated Angel Has Fallen (2019) in Movies
Aug 15, 2020
In 2013, Olympus Fell ("Olympus Has Fallen").
Although I saw it, I don't remember much about it other than it was one of the 2 'Die Hard in the White House' movies that came out that year (the other being "White House Down") and that it starred Gerard Butler (wit "Olympus" being the code name of the White House).
In 2016, London Fell ("London Has Fallen")
I remember even less about it, other than it was a sequel, again starring Gerard Butler, and took place in, well, London.
Now, in 2019, "Angel Has Fallen".
The 'Angel' of that is the codename of Gerard Butler's Secret Service Agent Mike Banning, returning for a third time in the series, and here framed for an attempted assassination attempt on the US President (Morgan Freeman, taking over from the earlier Aaron Eckhart) and on the run from both his own government and from those who framed him (and want to finish the job, so to speak).
If you've seen any of the earlier entries, you'll know pretty much what to expect: gunfire, explosions, more gunfire, running, a ham-fisted "Russia bad! America good!" allegory thrown in, more gunfire ...
Not a bad way to while away a few hours, but not brilliant either,
Although I saw it, I don't remember much about it other than it was one of the 2 'Die Hard in the White House' movies that came out that year (the other being "White House Down") and that it starred Gerard Butler (wit "Olympus" being the code name of the White House).
In 2016, London Fell ("London Has Fallen")
I remember even less about it, other than it was a sequel, again starring Gerard Butler, and took place in, well, London.
Now, in 2019, "Angel Has Fallen".
The 'Angel' of that is the codename of Gerard Butler's Secret Service Agent Mike Banning, returning for a third time in the series, and here framed for an attempted assassination attempt on the US President (Morgan Freeman, taking over from the earlier Aaron Eckhart) and on the run from both his own government and from those who framed him (and want to finish the job, so to speak).
If you've seen any of the earlier entries, you'll know pretty much what to expect: gunfire, explosions, more gunfire, running, a ham-fisted "Russia bad! America good!" allegory thrown in, more gunfire ...
Not a bad way to while away a few hours, but not brilliant either,
Veronica Pena (690 KP) rated Den Of Thieves (2018) in Movies
May 10, 2020
I really enjoyed this film. It reminds me of 'Now You See Me' but grungier. I'm really hoping everyone returns for the second one because I think it'll be great. O'Shea Jackson Jr. is no doubt the standout in this film and once you watch you'll definitely be able to see why. I didn't really like Gerard Butler's character's storyline. It felt unnecessary and just like a filler. It didn't really have any place in the film and didn't really give him any depth. I also don't know that I like a grungier Gerard Butler. I think what he does well is when he's polished and on point and Nick just doesn't give that off, obviously. So at times, it felt like he was trying too hard. But I also think that's why Nick's team works the way it does so I suppose you win some, you lose some. There are, like Gerard's storyline, some unnecessary scenes that seem to want to make the characters feel more real to you, but I don't find that they do that. I find that they are just dead space on the screen and distract from the actual plot going on.
Overall, I really liked this film. I'm eager for the second one, and it's definitely a good watch.
Overall, I really liked this film. I'm eager for the second one, and it's definitely a good watch.
Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated Lara Croft Tomb Raider - The Cradle of Life (2003) in Movies
Aug 13, 2019
The Hidden Temple
I forgot that this movie excist and happened. Does anyone remeber this film, cause i dont. I saw it once years ago and than forgot about it.
The plot: Fearless explorer Lara Croft (Angelina Jolie) tries to locate Pandora's box before criminals Jonathan Reiss (Ciarán Hinds) and Chen Lo (Simon Yam) use it for evil. According to myth, the box holds deadly organisms that could kill millions of people. With her old partner, Terry (Gerard Butler), Croft goes on a hunt that takes her from Europe to Asia to Africa, where pal Kosa (Djimon Hounsou) helps her. Along the way, Croft rappels down cliffs, scuba dives and decimates many male opponents.
Wow it has a good supporting cast.
I would highly reccordmend watching this movie, if you watch the first one and forgotten that this movie excist/happened.
The plot: Fearless explorer Lara Croft (Angelina Jolie) tries to locate Pandora's box before criminals Jonathan Reiss (Ciarán Hinds) and Chen Lo (Simon Yam) use it for evil. According to myth, the box holds deadly organisms that could kill millions of people. With her old partner, Terry (Gerard Butler), Croft goes on a hunt that takes her from Europe to Asia to Africa, where pal Kosa (Djimon Hounsou) helps her. Along the way, Croft rappels down cliffs, scuba dives and decimates many male opponents.
Wow it has a good supporting cast.
I would highly reccordmend watching this movie, if you watch the first one and forgotten that this movie excist/happened.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Den Of Thieves (2018) in Movies
Jul 8, 2019
Heist films are typically filled with tropes and clichéd action sequences. Den of Thieves offers a new perspective on crime action films. The film stars O’Shea Jackson Junior (Straight Outta Compton) and Gerard Butler (300) on opposite sides of the law. Donnie (O’Shea Jackson Jr) is a new member of a bank heist crew focused on robbing the Federal Reserve in Los Angeles. Gerard Butler heads up a special division of the Los Angeles Sheriff’s department that is determined on stopping this crew.
The film delves deeper than typical films of this genre. Instead of having one-dimensional characters who are either career criminals or law enforcement officers seeking to be heroes, we find characters that are much more than their description. The criminals are cerebral and men of action. We see them as flawed beings who have families, friendships, and goals of eventually leaving crime.
For those on the side of the law, we witness how these heroes are only valiant on the outside. We see them as vulnerable, overzealous, and skirting the law as they view themselves as the embodiment of the law.
Den of Thieves demonstrates that crime action films can have well-developed storylines that don’t rely on the action to carry the film forward. The film will have audiences speculating about the next move and progression of the stories and crimes in a way that would make Ocean’s Eleven envious in its creativity. The characters have you confused and conflicted as who to pull for as they make the criminals relatable and sympathetic.
Den Of Thieves raises the bar for the genre of heist movies.
The film delves deeper than typical films of this genre. Instead of having one-dimensional characters who are either career criminals or law enforcement officers seeking to be heroes, we find characters that are much more than their description. The criminals are cerebral and men of action. We see them as flawed beings who have families, friendships, and goals of eventually leaving crime.
For those on the side of the law, we witness how these heroes are only valiant on the outside. We see them as vulnerable, overzealous, and skirting the law as they view themselves as the embodiment of the law.
Den of Thieves demonstrates that crime action films can have well-developed storylines that don’t rely on the action to carry the film forward. The film will have audiences speculating about the next move and progression of the stories and crimes in a way that would make Ocean’s Eleven envious in its creativity. The characters have you confused and conflicted as who to pull for as they make the criminals relatable and sympathetic.
Den Of Thieves raises the bar for the genre of heist movies.
Matthew Krueger (10051 KP) rated The Fugitive (1993) in Movies
May 14, 2020 (Updated May 14, 2020)
Cat and Mouse Chase
The Fugitive- a gripping action packed thriller with suspense and drama all the way up to the credits, not one moment is boring. The chemisty between Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones is excellent.
The plot: Wrongfully accused of murdering his wife, Richard Kimble (Harrison Ford) escapes from the law in an attempt to find her killer and clear his name. Pursuing him is a team of U.S. marshals led by Deputy Samuel Gerard (Tommy Lee Jones), a determined detective who will not rest until Richard is captured. As Richard leads the team through a series of intricate chases, he discovers the secrets behind his wife's death and struggles to expose the killer before it is too late.
One thing that got me was when Harrison Ford charcter jumps off from a freaking dam and doesnt get injured or killed from it. That jump was high up, he should of gotting injured or killed, but nope he is perfectly fine, no marks, no broken bones, no nothing. Even tommy lee jones charcter says "he's dead. Their no way he survived that". Watch the sence and tell me he should of gotting injured or killed.
Other than that, this movie is excellent.
The plot: Wrongfully accused of murdering his wife, Richard Kimble (Harrison Ford) escapes from the law in an attempt to find her killer and clear his name. Pursuing him is a team of U.S. marshals led by Deputy Samuel Gerard (Tommy Lee Jones), a determined detective who will not rest until Richard is captured. As Richard leads the team through a series of intricate chases, he discovers the secrets behind his wife's death and struggles to expose the killer before it is too late.
One thing that got me was when Harrison Ford charcter jumps off from a freaking dam and doesnt get injured or killed from it. That jump was high up, he should of gotting injured or killed, but nope he is perfectly fine, no marks, no broken bones, no nothing. Even tommy lee jones charcter says "he's dead. Their no way he survived that". Watch the sence and tell me he should of gotting injured or killed.
Other than that, this movie is excellent.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Hunter Killer (2018) in Movies
Oct 23, 2018 (Updated Oct 23, 2018)
Oh-lord-must-we submarine thriller with GERARD! BUTLER! toning it down for once as maverick navy commander Joe Glass, sent to investigate the loss of a US vessel off the Russian coast. Quite how detached from reality this film is is perhaps suggested by the fact that the female President of the USA ends up ordering Butler to save the Russian President (nothing like you-know-who, by the way) from an attempted coup. The film attempts to offset how absurdly silly the plot is by taking itself very seriously indeed; this just results in making it dull.
Special effects are competent, some rather good actors (Oldman, Stephens) phone in reasonable performances - there is very little that is flat-out bad about Hunter Killer, yet it never generates any real tension or excitement. Anything that would actually make it interesting or original seems to have been machine-tooled away. Butler's attempts to avoid going over-the-top are not necessarily for the best. Really just a very tedious, derivative, and formulaic movie.
Special effects are competent, some rather good actors (Oldman, Stephens) phone in reasonable performances - there is very little that is flat-out bad about Hunter Killer, yet it never generates any real tension or excitement. Anything that would actually make it interesting or original seems to have been machine-tooled away. Butler's attempts to avoid going over-the-top are not necessarily for the best. Really just a very tedious, derivative, and formulaic movie.
Movie Metropolis (309 KP) rated Angel Has Fallen (2019) in Movies
Aug 23, 2019
It’s always surprising when a truly awful film performs well at the box-office, but that’s exactly what happened with 2017’s London Has Fallen. Despite overwhelmingly poor reviews, the sequel to 2013’s marginally better Olympus Has Fallen made over four times its production budget in ticket sales.
Naturally, a sequel in the now originally named ‘Fallen’ film series was greenlit soon after with the majority of the cast returning for the third instalment. But is the finished product, Angel Has Fallen as bad as its predecessor? Or is this the turning point?
Authorities take Secret Service agent Mike Banning (Gerard Butler) into custody for the failed assassination attempt of U.S. President Allan Trumbull (Morgan Freeman). After escaping from his captors, Banning must evade the FBI and his own agency to find the real threat to the president. Desperate to uncover the truth, he soon turns to unlikely allies to help clear his name and save the country from imminent danger.
First thing’s first. This is better than London Has Fallen in every conceivable area. Where that film was packed full of grainy stock footage, poor CGI and laughable dialogue, Angel Has Fallen at least attempts to create a reasonably coherent film, even if the end result is completely forgettable.
The script for one attempts to focus on the mental and physical strain Gerard Butler’s job has taken on both aspects of his health. We join the film with Butler working his way through an assault course of sorts, so far so Gerard. However, as the film progresses the audience realises that Agent Banning is suffering from a lot of demons, impacting his clarity and causing him to lose focus.
To be fair, Butler does his best with the material he’s given, but three films in, even he is starting to look a little bored. The rest of the cast don’t fare any better. Morgan Freeman dons his tried and tested President persona, but the 82-year-old legend struggles with the physical demands of the role – and the all too obvious body doubles are a jarring mismatch with a film that is occasionally nicely choreographed and edited.
Only a film series as mediocre as ‘Fallen’ could make Angel Has Fallen feel like a success
The highlight comes about half way through the film as we are introduced to a dishevelled Nick Nolte playing Clay Banning, Mike’s foul-mouthed father, living off grid in rural Virginia. The casting is a little odd at first but the pair share good on-screen chemistry with each other and are much better than any relationship we saw in the film’s two predecessors. One of the action sequences the two of them have together is absurd but genuinely funny.
While the script has improved somewhat (there’s no unnecessary racism to be had), there are still huge flaws here. A third-act twist is one of the most ridiculously predictable twists in movie history, made all the more insulting by the fact that there are no red herrings in the story whatsoever. Come on guys, at least give us something else to think about! Instead of an “oooo” when the twist is revealed, the collective response from the audience was practically an eye-roll.
Elsewhere, the film’s finale, which feels like it goes on for far too long, is pure cinematic nonsense of the highest degree but does utilise this instalment’s bigger budget reasonably well. There are instances of poor CGI and very very obvious green screen dotted throughout, but nothing as bad as the laughably rubbish explosions and CG helicopters that riddled London Has Fallen.
Angel Has Fallen (2019 Movie) Official Trailer - Gerard Butler, Morgan Freeman - YouTube
Overall, only a film series as mediocre as ‘Fallen’ could make Angel Has Fallen feel like a success but the increased focus on the human elements of the lead characters rather than the outright racism featured in the previous films is a welcome change, and while the action scenes are filmed with a little too much shaky cam for my liking, they’re decently watchable if lacking in any real originality.
The problem we have is that this film will undoubtedly be yet another success if the sold-out screening I attended is anything to go by. Inevitably, this will then pave the way for more similarly themed movies. However, these films aren’t created for those of us who love cinema or to show off the craft of film-making, they’re made for people who want to check their phones every now and then or have a chat to the person next to them. And to be frank, that’s a cinematic world I’d rather not be a part of.
Naturally, a sequel in the now originally named ‘Fallen’ film series was greenlit soon after with the majority of the cast returning for the third instalment. But is the finished product, Angel Has Fallen as bad as its predecessor? Or is this the turning point?
Authorities take Secret Service agent Mike Banning (Gerard Butler) into custody for the failed assassination attempt of U.S. President Allan Trumbull (Morgan Freeman). After escaping from his captors, Banning must evade the FBI and his own agency to find the real threat to the president. Desperate to uncover the truth, he soon turns to unlikely allies to help clear his name and save the country from imminent danger.
First thing’s first. This is better than London Has Fallen in every conceivable area. Where that film was packed full of grainy stock footage, poor CGI and laughable dialogue, Angel Has Fallen at least attempts to create a reasonably coherent film, even if the end result is completely forgettable.
The script for one attempts to focus on the mental and physical strain Gerard Butler’s job has taken on both aspects of his health. We join the film with Butler working his way through an assault course of sorts, so far so Gerard. However, as the film progresses the audience realises that Agent Banning is suffering from a lot of demons, impacting his clarity and causing him to lose focus.
To be fair, Butler does his best with the material he’s given, but three films in, even he is starting to look a little bored. The rest of the cast don’t fare any better. Morgan Freeman dons his tried and tested President persona, but the 82-year-old legend struggles with the physical demands of the role – and the all too obvious body doubles are a jarring mismatch with a film that is occasionally nicely choreographed and edited.
Only a film series as mediocre as ‘Fallen’ could make Angel Has Fallen feel like a success
The highlight comes about half way through the film as we are introduced to a dishevelled Nick Nolte playing Clay Banning, Mike’s foul-mouthed father, living off grid in rural Virginia. The casting is a little odd at first but the pair share good on-screen chemistry with each other and are much better than any relationship we saw in the film’s two predecessors. One of the action sequences the two of them have together is absurd but genuinely funny.
While the script has improved somewhat (there’s no unnecessary racism to be had), there are still huge flaws here. A third-act twist is one of the most ridiculously predictable twists in movie history, made all the more insulting by the fact that there are no red herrings in the story whatsoever. Come on guys, at least give us something else to think about! Instead of an “oooo” when the twist is revealed, the collective response from the audience was practically an eye-roll.
Elsewhere, the film’s finale, which feels like it goes on for far too long, is pure cinematic nonsense of the highest degree but does utilise this instalment’s bigger budget reasonably well. There are instances of poor CGI and very very obvious green screen dotted throughout, but nothing as bad as the laughably rubbish explosions and CG helicopters that riddled London Has Fallen.
Angel Has Fallen (2019 Movie) Official Trailer - Gerard Butler, Morgan Freeman - YouTube
Overall, only a film series as mediocre as ‘Fallen’ could make Angel Has Fallen feel like a success but the increased focus on the human elements of the lead characters rather than the outright racism featured in the previous films is a welcome change, and while the action scenes are filmed with a little too much shaky cam for my liking, they’re decently watchable if lacking in any real originality.
The problem we have is that this film will undoubtedly be yet another success if the sold-out screening I attended is anything to go by. Inevitably, this will then pave the way for more similarly themed movies. However, these films aren’t created for those of us who love cinema or to show off the craft of film-making, they’re made for people who want to check their phones every now and then or have a chat to the person next to them. And to be frank, that’s a cinematic world I’d rather not be a part of.
jmercado (1 KP) rated Gerard's Beauty (Kingdom, #2) in Books
Jan 15, 2018
2nd book in the Kingdom Series.
Basic quick read romance.
Betty Hart has been in the ringer with love before and came out defeated.
When french beau Gerard Caron enters her life looking battered and homeless she is determined but cautious to take him to a shelter.
Plans don't go as expected and they wind up back at her apartment with a unexpected surprise from Danika, Gerards' Fairy Godmother.
What Betty didn't know is he is there for a purpose. Fleeing from his troubles in his homeland that is not earth, his fairy godmother sends him to earth to redeem himself and the only way to redeem himself is to make a woman fall in love with him.
The Catch? He only has one month to do it or be killed back in his homelands for punishment against Kingdom's royalty.
This book had some interesting aspects to it , especially with Briley.It seems like these books are all pretty insta-love so if that is not your type you should not read these. This book however wasnt bad but it was wow good. So i will only be giving it 3 out of 5 stars.
I can say this was the 1st book series i have read in a while that did not have a completely whiny main character and i appreciated that. But the story line fell a bit flat towards the middle.
Still going to continue on though and see who Danika hits next.
Basic quick read romance.
Betty Hart has been in the ringer with love before and came out defeated.
When french beau Gerard Caron enters her life looking battered and homeless she is determined but cautious to take him to a shelter.
Plans don't go as expected and they wind up back at her apartment with a unexpected surprise from Danika, Gerards' Fairy Godmother.
What Betty didn't know is he is there for a purpose. Fleeing from his troubles in his homeland that is not earth, his fairy godmother sends him to earth to redeem himself and the only way to redeem himself is to make a woman fall in love with him.
The Catch? He only has one month to do it or be killed back in his homelands for punishment against Kingdom's royalty.
This book had some interesting aspects to it , especially with Briley.It seems like these books are all pretty insta-love so if that is not your type you should not read these. This book however wasnt bad but it was wow good. So i will only be giving it 3 out of 5 stars.
I can say this was the 1st book series i have read in a while that did not have a completely whiny main character and i appreciated that. But the story line fell a bit flat towards the middle.
Still going to continue on though and see who Danika hits next.