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Phillip McSween (751 KP) rated 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) in Movies
Jan 21, 2020
From a Sci-Fi Lover, It's a No
During a space mission, a spaceship supercomputer malfunctions and tries to kill the ship’s inhabitants. That’s the best I got for 2001: A Space Odyssey. Some films don’t translate far past their creation date and a lot of times, people find it hard to admit that. Hate me now because I wasn’t a fan of this movie in the slightest.
Acting: 10
Beginning: 4
The first few minutes of the movie left me scratching my head. You can save the whole explanation of the artistic aspect of this part, I’m not buying it and I feel directors have hid over “abstract art” for far too long. If it’s not good, it’s not good, and this? It made no sense. I had no desire to watch the rest of the movie after the first ten minutes, but I kept pushing.
Characters: 10
Cinematography/Visuals: 10
Conflict: 8
Entertainment Value: 6
Memorability: 7
Pace: 4
I snapped my fingers quite a bit through the duration of this movie. I wanted so badly for things to move along, but I felt like the movie thought looking great was more important. While it is cinematically stunning (and well deserving of a perfect score in that category), the story moves at an extremely slow clip. For example, so much time was wasted with one particular landing, I wanted to poke my damn eyes out. Watching this movie was like being stuck in traffic during rush hour.
Plot: 2
Resolution: 1
Overall: 62
I recently stopped reading a book because it dragged on so badly and was so confusing, I just couldn’t enjoy it any longer. With 2001: A Space Odyssey, I’ll just say this: When the movie ends and I have to wiki your plot, it probably wasn’t a good movie. I won’t argue that it deserved recognition for pioneering a beautiful vision of space, but the rest can honestly stay in history.
Acting: 10
Beginning: 4
The first few minutes of the movie left me scratching my head. You can save the whole explanation of the artistic aspect of this part, I’m not buying it and I feel directors have hid over “abstract art” for far too long. If it’s not good, it’s not good, and this? It made no sense. I had no desire to watch the rest of the movie after the first ten minutes, but I kept pushing.
Characters: 10
Cinematography/Visuals: 10
Conflict: 8
Entertainment Value: 6
Memorability: 7
Pace: 4
I snapped my fingers quite a bit through the duration of this movie. I wanted so badly for things to move along, but I felt like the movie thought looking great was more important. While it is cinematically stunning (and well deserving of a perfect score in that category), the story moves at an extremely slow clip. For example, so much time was wasted with one particular landing, I wanted to poke my damn eyes out. Watching this movie was like being stuck in traffic during rush hour.
Plot: 2
Resolution: 1
Overall: 62
I recently stopped reading a book because it dragged on so badly and was so confusing, I just couldn’t enjoy it any longer. With 2001: A Space Odyssey, I’ll just say this: When the movie ends and I have to wiki your plot, it probably wasn’t a good movie. I won’t argue that it deserved recognition for pioneering a beautiful vision of space, but the rest can honestly stay in history.
Movie Metropolis (309 KP) rated Avatar (2009) in Movies
Jun 10, 2019
James Cameron has had his work cut out trying to eclipse the success of his previous film Titanic, way back in 1997 and to this day it remains the highest grossing film of all time. It’s hard to believe that it’s been 12 years since his name was plastered on the big screen but he’s back with Avatar, a science fiction epic to rival Titanic’s crown.
Avatar has been marketed to death with 10-minute trailers littering cinemas across the globe and it hasn’t stopped there, James Cameron has been parading himself and the films stars around like toy soldiers to ensure it receives as much attention as he thinks it deserves, but is it actually any good?
Let’s start with the premise, an ex marine (Sam Worthington) who has been paralysed from the waist down in battle has been sent to an alien planet called Pandora to help mine for a very valuable metal and would you believe it, it’s name is ‘Unobtainium’, no jokes. Whilst there, he meets the Na’vi, an alien race that resemble giant smurfs. He becomes intrigued by their way of life, not to mention falling in love with one of them (Zoe Saldana). No, I’m not kidding and yes it does sound ridiculous.
The film starts pretty slowly, but then again at just under three hours long it has plenty of time to build momentum and after those first 10-minutes you get sucked into the whole environment of Pandora in the most dazzling 3D I have ever seen in the cinema. The special effects are complimented perfectly with the 3D experience and the alien environment is stunning, so stunning in fact that you have to see it, to believe it.
Considering the story is about blue smurf like aliens and is to say the least, a little thin on the ground; I was surprised to be sat there with all different kinds of emotion splattered across my face. One minute I would be wanting to shout out at the screen in sheer rage at what was going on, other times I would be sobbing my heart out in some of the most upsetting scenes I have seen in a modern Sci-fi. It just doesn’t happen, Sci-fi and tears just don’t go together; it’s like eating chocolate with fish. The transition between action, thriller, comedy and drama is exceptionally watertight and Avatar blends these genres all perfectly to form what is a complete package of a film.
Unfortunately, whilst the acting is sublime from most corners, with Zoe Saldana being the stand out performance as one of the female Na’vi, some of the human actors don’t really get enough screen time; annoying considering the films length. Sigourney Weaver is viciously underused and even though she plays her character with brilliance, she needed more screen time to fully develop the role.
Thankfully though, Cameron’s film limits the faults to those few and Avatar remains a magical ride, which whilst not being utterly original, reeks of box office championship and may just take over Titanic as the biggest film of all time.
Avatar is then, what everyone had ever wanted it to be, it combines unparalleled special effects in superb 3D with fabulous performances from the actors who really looked like they wanted to be in their roles. Trust the hype and you will witness history in the making.
https://moviemetropolis.net/2010/10/17/avatar-2009/
Avatar has been marketed to death with 10-minute trailers littering cinemas across the globe and it hasn’t stopped there, James Cameron has been parading himself and the films stars around like toy soldiers to ensure it receives as much attention as he thinks it deserves, but is it actually any good?
Let’s start with the premise, an ex marine (Sam Worthington) who has been paralysed from the waist down in battle has been sent to an alien planet called Pandora to help mine for a very valuable metal and would you believe it, it’s name is ‘Unobtainium’, no jokes. Whilst there, he meets the Na’vi, an alien race that resemble giant smurfs. He becomes intrigued by their way of life, not to mention falling in love with one of them (Zoe Saldana). No, I’m not kidding and yes it does sound ridiculous.
The film starts pretty slowly, but then again at just under three hours long it has plenty of time to build momentum and after those first 10-minutes you get sucked into the whole environment of Pandora in the most dazzling 3D I have ever seen in the cinema. The special effects are complimented perfectly with the 3D experience and the alien environment is stunning, so stunning in fact that you have to see it, to believe it.
Considering the story is about blue smurf like aliens and is to say the least, a little thin on the ground; I was surprised to be sat there with all different kinds of emotion splattered across my face. One minute I would be wanting to shout out at the screen in sheer rage at what was going on, other times I would be sobbing my heart out in some of the most upsetting scenes I have seen in a modern Sci-fi. It just doesn’t happen, Sci-fi and tears just don’t go together; it’s like eating chocolate with fish. The transition between action, thriller, comedy and drama is exceptionally watertight and Avatar blends these genres all perfectly to form what is a complete package of a film.
Unfortunately, whilst the acting is sublime from most corners, with Zoe Saldana being the stand out performance as one of the female Na’vi, some of the human actors don’t really get enough screen time; annoying considering the films length. Sigourney Weaver is viciously underused and even though she plays her character with brilliance, she needed more screen time to fully develop the role.
Thankfully though, Cameron’s film limits the faults to those few and Avatar remains a magical ride, which whilst not being utterly original, reeks of box office championship and may just take over Titanic as the biggest film of all time.
Avatar is then, what everyone had ever wanted it to be, it combines unparalleled special effects in superb 3D with fabulous performances from the actors who really looked like they wanted to be in their roles. Trust the hype and you will witness history in the making.
https://moviemetropolis.net/2010/10/17/avatar-2009/
Darren (1599 KP) rated Allegiant (2016) in Movies
Jun 20, 2019
Story: Divergent: Allegiant starts with Evelyn (Watts) closing the walls, has something to do with the last one. Tris (Woodley) and Four (James) are on the outskirts and Four is going to try and change the mind of Evelyn. When Evelyn starts acting the same as the former leader Tris and Four along with the other friends Caleb (Elgort), Christina (Kravitz) and Peter (Teller) plan their escape.
Over the wall they only find destruction before being rescued by David’s (Daniels) people the Bureau of Genetic Welfare who created the world they started in. This time Tris gets the chance to save the world not just a city, but can she trust everyone around her this time?
Divergent: Allegiant is the third instalment of the franchise with at least one more to go, great. This time we meet yet another group of people who want control of the city that Tris ends up having stop. The plan seems very familiar oh yeah it is the basic plot of Batman Begins, wanting to spread gas in a city to kill/infect everyone. I am getting tired of these because what happens is they hire a well-respected actor only to make them the BAD GUY yet again. Simply put this is nothing new.
Actor Review
Shailene Woodley: Tris having opened the box to the outside world last time escapes the city only to learn that the city is part of an experiment to find genetic perfection which is why they search for the Divergent in the first place. Tris is the most powerful Divergent, purest if you like that must represent the success of the experiment. Shailene is working her way through the contract where we know she can do better.tris
Theo James: Four for is the boyfriend, fellow Divergent and son of the new dictator of Chicago. When he escapes he finds himself being separated from Tris for not being pure finding it hard to adjust to the change. Theo improves from last time out but let’s face it his body got him this role.
Naomi Watts: Evelyn is the new dictator in Chicago that has continued in the ways the ruler before had, she is ready to fight anyone who goes against her. Naomi is wasted in this role where you would expect to see a lot more from her.
Jeff Daniels: David the running the Bureau of Genetic Welfare who have been watching Chicago for years, he sees Tris as the first case of purification to come out of the city proving their experiment has been working at last. Jeff is the star of the show without being too impressive.david
Support Cast: Divergent: Allegiant has a big supporting cast with some returning and a few more added but it is hard to keep up with who is work with who.
Director Review: Robert Schwentke – Robert gives us some very good shots but the story is very bland.
Action: Divergent: Allegiant has very basic action sequence you would expect to see now in the young adult genre.
Adventure: Divergent: Allegiant continues an adventure I guess.
Mystery: Divergent: Allegiant add mystery to where everything is going but really is milking it now.
Sci-Fi: Divergent: Allegiant brings us into a sci-fi of the future but too bright for the bleakness.
Thriller: Divergent: Allegiant doesn’t really keep us on the edge like it should have done.
Settings: Divergent: Allegiant continues to expand the world in this universe without really giving us enough.
Special Effects: Divergent: Allegiant has some good effects without being anything breath taking.
Suggestion: Divergent: Allegiant does improve on Insurgent but still going the wrong way, skip. (Skip)
Best Part: Peter is so funny.
Worst Part: More of the same.
Believability: No
Chances of Tears: No
Chances of Sequel: Yes
Post Credits Scene: No
Similar Too: Hunger Games Mockingjays.
Oscar Chances: No
Runtime: 2 Hours 1 Minute
Tagline: Break the boundaries of your world
Overall: Yet another bland sequel to a franchise which has gone on too long.
https://moviesreview101.com/2016/03/28/divergent-allegiant-2016/
Over the wall they only find destruction before being rescued by David’s (Daniels) people the Bureau of Genetic Welfare who created the world they started in. This time Tris gets the chance to save the world not just a city, but can she trust everyone around her this time?
Divergent: Allegiant is the third instalment of the franchise with at least one more to go, great. This time we meet yet another group of people who want control of the city that Tris ends up having stop. The plan seems very familiar oh yeah it is the basic plot of Batman Begins, wanting to spread gas in a city to kill/infect everyone. I am getting tired of these because what happens is they hire a well-respected actor only to make them the BAD GUY yet again. Simply put this is nothing new.
Actor Review
Shailene Woodley: Tris having opened the box to the outside world last time escapes the city only to learn that the city is part of an experiment to find genetic perfection which is why they search for the Divergent in the first place. Tris is the most powerful Divergent, purest if you like that must represent the success of the experiment. Shailene is working her way through the contract where we know she can do better.tris
Theo James: Four for is the boyfriend, fellow Divergent and son of the new dictator of Chicago. When he escapes he finds himself being separated from Tris for not being pure finding it hard to adjust to the change. Theo improves from last time out but let’s face it his body got him this role.
Naomi Watts: Evelyn is the new dictator in Chicago that has continued in the ways the ruler before had, she is ready to fight anyone who goes against her. Naomi is wasted in this role where you would expect to see a lot more from her.
Jeff Daniels: David the running the Bureau of Genetic Welfare who have been watching Chicago for years, he sees Tris as the first case of purification to come out of the city proving their experiment has been working at last. Jeff is the star of the show without being too impressive.david
Support Cast: Divergent: Allegiant has a big supporting cast with some returning and a few more added but it is hard to keep up with who is work with who.
Director Review: Robert Schwentke – Robert gives us some very good shots but the story is very bland.
Action: Divergent: Allegiant has very basic action sequence you would expect to see now in the young adult genre.
Adventure: Divergent: Allegiant continues an adventure I guess.
Mystery: Divergent: Allegiant add mystery to where everything is going but really is milking it now.
Sci-Fi: Divergent: Allegiant brings us into a sci-fi of the future but too bright for the bleakness.
Thriller: Divergent: Allegiant doesn’t really keep us on the edge like it should have done.
Settings: Divergent: Allegiant continues to expand the world in this universe without really giving us enough.
Special Effects: Divergent: Allegiant has some good effects without being anything breath taking.
Suggestion: Divergent: Allegiant does improve on Insurgent but still going the wrong way, skip. (Skip)
Best Part: Peter is so funny.
Worst Part: More of the same.
Believability: No
Chances of Tears: No
Chances of Sequel: Yes
Post Credits Scene: No
Similar Too: Hunger Games Mockingjays.
Oscar Chances: No
Runtime: 2 Hours 1 Minute
Tagline: Break the boundaries of your world
Overall: Yet another bland sequel to a franchise which has gone on too long.
https://moviesreview101.com/2016/03/28/divergent-allegiant-2016/
Anne (15117 KP) rated A House of Rage and Sorrow (The Celestial Trilogy, #2) in Books
Nov 4, 2019
I'd say this was probably about a 4 star read for me. I have been looking forward to this book after reading A Spark of White Fire, the previous book, which was an amazing 5 stars for me. This book is more or less a retelling of the Mahabarata in Space and it's different because it's written based from Hindu Mythology, which I don't read a lot of, but have always wanted to read and know more about it.
This book was harder to read for me than the first because it was more emotional than the first, maybe a bit more dark and heavy, but it had to be for where the story's going and with where the story was in the first book. I had a major book hangover from the first book, but the book hangover isn't quite as bad this time. I'm more nervous about reading what comes next because it got pretty intense and emotional during this one.
It picks up right where it left off from the ending of the second book, flows well with the transition, but if you haven't read the first book, you might not get what's going on so I would recommend reading the previous book first before this one.
Without getting too spoilery here, the twins are even more at odds here in this book, Esmae, and Alexi, because of fighting over Kali and who gets to be the ruler and especially because of what happened with the duel and Rama. Oh man, that was a hard part of the story, that's part of why this book is so hard because of what happened with Rama. More family info, dynamics, and things develop and come to light throughout this book and the romance develops more between certain characters like Max and Esmae. There's a lot of information and feelings that are covered in this book and it deals with a lot of grief, sadness, anger with the fighting and everything that's happened, is going on and is going to happen.
I didn't like it as much as the first book because it was so heavy and dark from the emotional standpoint, but it kind of had to be that way in this part of the story. There was also a few instances of profanity/language that bothered me because I prefer to read stories without language and such when possible. Other than that, it was a well written good book that I would recommend to others especially if you loved the first one, which if you haven't read the first one, you should. Also if you want to read a Sci-Fi and Fantasy story in space that is a retelling and involves the Mahabarata and Hindu Mythology then you should read it.
This book was harder to read for me than the first because it was more emotional than the first, maybe a bit more dark and heavy, but it had to be for where the story's going and with where the story was in the first book. I had a major book hangover from the first book, but the book hangover isn't quite as bad this time. I'm more nervous about reading what comes next because it got pretty intense and emotional during this one.
It picks up right where it left off from the ending of the second book, flows well with the transition, but if you haven't read the first book, you might not get what's going on so I would recommend reading the previous book first before this one.
Without getting too spoilery here, the twins are even more at odds here in this book, Esmae, and Alexi, because of fighting over Kali and who gets to be the ruler and especially because of what happened with the duel and Rama. Oh man, that was a hard part of the story, that's part of why this book is so hard because of what happened with Rama. More family info, dynamics, and things develop and come to light throughout this book and the romance develops more between certain characters like Max and Esmae. There's a lot of information and feelings that are covered in this book and it deals with a lot of grief, sadness, anger with the fighting and everything that's happened, is going on and is going to happen.
I didn't like it as much as the first book because it was so heavy and dark from the emotional standpoint, but it kind of had to be that way in this part of the story. There was also a few instances of profanity/language that bothered me because I prefer to read stories without language and such when possible. Other than that, it was a well written good book that I would recommend to others especially if you loved the first one, which if you haven't read the first one, you should. Also if you want to read a Sci-Fi and Fantasy story in space that is a retelling and involves the Mahabarata and Hindu Mythology then you should read it.
Haley Mathiot (9 KP) rated The Better Part of Darkness (Charlie Madigan, #1) in Books
Apr 27, 2018
THE BETTER PART OF DARKNESS by Kelly Gay
Genre: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Crime Thriller, Romance
Rating: 5/5
My Summary: Charlie isn’t your average detective/police officer—she works for the new futuristic law enforcement department called ITF. The world has changed since the other dimensions have been discovered. Aliens (who hate being called aliens) now live on earth with humans, and some humans possess supernatural powers. Charlie and her Siren-partner, Hank, have been working on a disastrous case—trying to track down the source and destroy a new drug that is putting people all over Atlanta in comas. But after they begin digging deeper, they discover a whole new level of their assignment: one that puts Charlie, her ex-husband, her daughter whom she loves more than anyone or anything in the whole world, everyone in Atlanta, and the rest of the world, at stake… and only Charlie Madigan can save them.
The Better Part of Darkness is a fast-paces riveting debut novel that holds you by the neck until the last page. I’ve never enjoyed science fiction so much in my life.
This book had the perfect combination of sci-fi, crime, thriller, and romance to make it an addicting read to lover of any genre. The writing makes it wonderfully plausible and incredibly witty, and the characters were the kinds that you cheered for.
Charlie was my kind of girl—totally kick-butt in every way, shape, and form. She was tough as nails, rock-hard, dedicated to her job, but she had her soft spots for those that she held closest to her.
I will be sitting on the edge of my seat for the sequel of this book, titled “The Darkest Edge of Dawn.” 5 stars and two thumbs up to you, Kelly Gay: you just made my bookshelf.
Content: This book is not for the easily offended. There was language and sexual aspects of the book that make it an adult novel, though there were no sex scenes.
Recommendation: Ages 17+ to anyone who wants to read a really exceptional book.
**Thank you to Sarah from pocketbooks for supplying my review copy!**
~Haleyknitz
Genre: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Crime Thriller, Romance
Rating: 5/5
My Summary: Charlie isn’t your average detective/police officer—she works for the new futuristic law enforcement department called ITF. The world has changed since the other dimensions have been discovered. Aliens (who hate being called aliens) now live on earth with humans, and some humans possess supernatural powers. Charlie and her Siren-partner, Hank, have been working on a disastrous case—trying to track down the source and destroy a new drug that is putting people all over Atlanta in comas. But after they begin digging deeper, they discover a whole new level of their assignment: one that puts Charlie, her ex-husband, her daughter whom she loves more than anyone or anything in the whole world, everyone in Atlanta, and the rest of the world, at stake… and only Charlie Madigan can save them.
The Better Part of Darkness is a fast-paces riveting debut novel that holds you by the neck until the last page. I’ve never enjoyed science fiction so much in my life.
This book had the perfect combination of sci-fi, crime, thriller, and romance to make it an addicting read to lover of any genre. The writing makes it wonderfully plausible and incredibly witty, and the characters were the kinds that you cheered for.
Charlie was my kind of girl—totally kick-butt in every way, shape, and form. She was tough as nails, rock-hard, dedicated to her job, but she had her soft spots for those that she held closest to her.
I will be sitting on the edge of my seat for the sequel of this book, titled “The Darkest Edge of Dawn.” 5 stars and two thumbs up to you, Kelly Gay: you just made my bookshelf.
Content: This book is not for the easily offended. There was language and sexual aspects of the book that make it an adult novel, though there were no sex scenes.
Recommendation: Ages 17+ to anyone who wants to read a really exceptional book.
**Thank you to Sarah from pocketbooks for supplying my review copy!**
~Haleyknitz
Andy K (10821 KP) rated The Matrix Reloaded (2003) in Movies
Jun 2, 2019
The car chase scene saved it
I remember when the Matrix Reloaded was released in 2003. The hype train could not have been going any faster and full throttle. The fact that both parts 2 and 3 were filmed back to back and released the same year meant Warner Brothers was betting the farm that the movies would be huge successes and may continue to build a historic franchise for them.
The story continues kind of where the first truly exceptional groundbreaking first film leaves off; however, the tone is much different. I didn't think very much interesting exposition even occurs. The heroes and villains are pretty much the same as the first film. There is some strange Zion dance sequence where you get to see too many nipples and the story is kind of confusing and hard to follow.
When they started talking about the keymaster and gatekeeper, I started thinking of Ghostbusters and kind of laughed about it. They meet some French guy, his girlfriend some some weird twins with white dreadlocks who turn to ghosts whenever they are threatened.
And then comes the highway chase scene...
One of the great film car chases, the sequence goes on forever it seems (like over 30 minutes) and took months to film I had read. Having not seen the film in a while, I was drawn to the edge of my seat as some of the nuances were fresh to me as some of the details faded over time.
I had always thought one of the most the interesting parts of the original film, other than the groundbreaking special effects, was more cerebral meaning we are all sitting in these globules hooked up to the master machine looking like some sort of Borg creature powering the enemy Matrix while drowning in our dreams.
This movie takes a different direction and becomes more of an interesting sci fi drama with one killer car chase scene. The Smith battle at the end I felt was too forced and processed to be epic or interesting.
To be continued... in the Matrix Revolutions
The story continues kind of where the first truly exceptional groundbreaking first film leaves off; however, the tone is much different. I didn't think very much interesting exposition even occurs. The heroes and villains are pretty much the same as the first film. There is some strange Zion dance sequence where you get to see too many nipples and the story is kind of confusing and hard to follow.
When they started talking about the keymaster and gatekeeper, I started thinking of Ghostbusters and kind of laughed about it. They meet some French guy, his girlfriend some some weird twins with white dreadlocks who turn to ghosts whenever they are threatened.
And then comes the highway chase scene...
One of the great film car chases, the sequence goes on forever it seems (like over 30 minutes) and took months to film I had read. Having not seen the film in a while, I was drawn to the edge of my seat as some of the nuances were fresh to me as some of the details faded over time.
I had always thought one of the most the interesting parts of the original film, other than the groundbreaking special effects, was more cerebral meaning we are all sitting in these globules hooked up to the master machine looking like some sort of Borg creature powering the enemy Matrix while drowning in our dreams.
This movie takes a different direction and becomes more of an interesting sci fi drama with one killer car chase scene. The Smith battle at the end I felt was too forced and processed to be epic or interesting.
To be continued... in the Matrix Revolutions
Darren (1599 KP) rated A Wrinkle in Time (2018) in Movies
Jun 20, 2019
Story: A Wrinkle in Time starts when a trouble high school student Meg (Reid) hasn’t given up hope on being reunited with her father Mr Murry (Pine) after his sudden disappearance. Meg has become closed off from the world with her adopted brother Charles Wallace (McCabe) noticing the change in her. Meg, Charles and Calvin (Miller) get visited by Mrs Whatsit (Witherspoon) that opens up the possibilities for answers.
Mrs Whatsit takes the three children on an adventure through the universe with Mrs Which (Winfrey) and Mrs Who (Kaling), who believe they can locate Mr Murry after his research has taken him across the universe unlike anyone in human history.
Thoughts on A Wrinkle in Time
Characters – Meg is an outsider teenage girl, daughter of two brilliant scientists, with her father disappeared for four years now. She went from the popular out going girl to the shy closed off one. she has never given up hope of finding her father, which does leave questions about her relationship with her mother, she gets a chance to find her father with the will she shows in her heart. Mrs Which leads the three light entities that can help Meg travel the universe to find her father, she isn’t just guiding Meg, but the newest member of the team Mrs Whatsit. Mrs Whatsit is the bubbly member of the light entities, she is on her first mission of guidance which does see her make mistakes along the way. Mrs Who is the third member of the team, she is always positive like the rest only she gets the least amount of time to do anything of the three. Mr Murry is the father that has gone missing, he is a brilliant scientist that has always believed in travel through the universe to be possible and has been searching for a way to achieve. Calvin is the high school friend of Meg that ends up on the journey, he wants to support her even when it shows his own weakness in the world.
Performances – Storm Reid is the highlight of the film which sees her going on the adventure to find her father, this is a disappointing as we do have a talent cast, only they just don’t seem to shine on the levels you would expect them to reach.
Story – The story here follows a teenage girl that gets to do on an adventure across the universe in search for her father through the powers of light entities. This is a story that has come from a popular novel and is meant to show the science behind potential travel through the universe and how the power is within us all. This is a story that just drags along, it doesn’t offer anything to the world we are entering. This story could have so much potential and ends up just glossing over too much, making it a hard watch.
Adventure/Fantasy/Sci-Fi – The adventure side of the film shows the journey that takes the children across the universe to see just where one’s father has gone, this does show us the fantasy elements of the film in the sci-fi universe we end up going along.
Settings – The film is set in a fictional land where the people can travel to unknown planets in the universe, each one has its own unique look.
Special Effects – The visual effects used to create the different worlds look beautiful, only they don’t seem to make anything feel as important to the story.
Scene of the Movie – Understand other people’s problems from behind closed doors.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – This story just doesn’t become interesting.
Final Thoughts – This is a film that had so much potential only to fall so short, it has an amazing cast that just don’t get a chance to shine, the story just doesn’t get us going like it should do.
Overall: Disappointing.
https://moviesreview101.com/2019/06/13/a-wrinkle-in-time-2018/
Mrs Whatsit takes the three children on an adventure through the universe with Mrs Which (Winfrey) and Mrs Who (Kaling), who believe they can locate Mr Murry after his research has taken him across the universe unlike anyone in human history.
Thoughts on A Wrinkle in Time
Characters – Meg is an outsider teenage girl, daughter of two brilliant scientists, with her father disappeared for four years now. She went from the popular out going girl to the shy closed off one. she has never given up hope of finding her father, which does leave questions about her relationship with her mother, she gets a chance to find her father with the will she shows in her heart. Mrs Which leads the three light entities that can help Meg travel the universe to find her father, she isn’t just guiding Meg, but the newest member of the team Mrs Whatsit. Mrs Whatsit is the bubbly member of the light entities, she is on her first mission of guidance which does see her make mistakes along the way. Mrs Who is the third member of the team, she is always positive like the rest only she gets the least amount of time to do anything of the three. Mr Murry is the father that has gone missing, he is a brilliant scientist that has always believed in travel through the universe to be possible and has been searching for a way to achieve. Calvin is the high school friend of Meg that ends up on the journey, he wants to support her even when it shows his own weakness in the world.
Performances – Storm Reid is the highlight of the film which sees her going on the adventure to find her father, this is a disappointing as we do have a talent cast, only they just don’t seem to shine on the levels you would expect them to reach.
Story – The story here follows a teenage girl that gets to do on an adventure across the universe in search for her father through the powers of light entities. This is a story that has come from a popular novel and is meant to show the science behind potential travel through the universe and how the power is within us all. This is a story that just drags along, it doesn’t offer anything to the world we are entering. This story could have so much potential and ends up just glossing over too much, making it a hard watch.
Adventure/Fantasy/Sci-Fi – The adventure side of the film shows the journey that takes the children across the universe to see just where one’s father has gone, this does show us the fantasy elements of the film in the sci-fi universe we end up going along.
Settings – The film is set in a fictional land where the people can travel to unknown planets in the universe, each one has its own unique look.
Special Effects – The visual effects used to create the different worlds look beautiful, only they don’t seem to make anything feel as important to the story.
Scene of the Movie – Understand other people’s problems from behind closed doors.
That Moment That Annoyed Me – This story just doesn’t become interesting.
Final Thoughts – This is a film that had so much potential only to fall so short, it has an amazing cast that just don’t get a chance to shine, the story just doesn’t get us going like it should do.
Overall: Disappointing.
https://moviesreview101.com/2019/06/13/a-wrinkle-in-time-2018/
RəX Regent (349 KP) rated Night of the Living Dead (1968) in Movies
Feb 19, 2019
Iconic, influential and ground-breaking. All words to describe George A. Romero’s inaugural zombie horror, but what sets this apart from its contemporaries and the endless variations in the genre in which this Indie movie helped spawn?
Well to begin with, this is far from a simple zombie thriller. The real villains here are the collection of damaged human characters who all find themselves trapped together in an old farmhouse, barricaded within its fragile wooden walls, fighting not only the onslaught of zombie without, but the angst and fear from within.
At times they work together but unlike most films like this, the group rarely work at all, with conflicted views on how to survive, blinding them to the fact that if they only worked together they may just do so.
Instead, they all end up dead, with our leading man, a strong, smart black character, which at the time was a bold choice, being murdered by the redneck police posse, who mistake him for a zombie. But the metaphor, though hard to ignore, of a black man being gunned down without the white men bothering to ensure that he was zombie, may just be a coincidence, but the irony that he, Ben (Duane Jones) manages to survive until the end only be to gunned down in the final moments, is a tragedy that sums up this film’s tone.
With a killer child, a nude female zombie, a dysfunctional couple and the first named victim displaying a complacent contempt for God and the church, this group are real, though the acting standards are variable, the writing and direction are constantly very good, with a sense or gritty realism permeating throughout. Maintained by good pacing and gruesome cannibalistic action, this raised the bar of the genre, both now and then.
Even the zombies get a reasonable, yet none definitive explanation, as told through the radio and TV news. Radiation bringing the dead back to life, well, it may be the trope of 1960’s sci fi but it was well explained and the news reports were well composed, feeling more realistic than most movie news broadcasts.
Romero may have gone on to milk this franchise for all it is worth in the decades since but this opening low budget gem is a real piece of work; A complex moral drama set on one chaotic night in which the dead become living again.
Well to begin with, this is far from a simple zombie thriller. The real villains here are the collection of damaged human characters who all find themselves trapped together in an old farmhouse, barricaded within its fragile wooden walls, fighting not only the onslaught of zombie without, but the angst and fear from within.
At times they work together but unlike most films like this, the group rarely work at all, with conflicted views on how to survive, blinding them to the fact that if they only worked together they may just do so.
Instead, they all end up dead, with our leading man, a strong, smart black character, which at the time was a bold choice, being murdered by the redneck police posse, who mistake him for a zombie. But the metaphor, though hard to ignore, of a black man being gunned down without the white men bothering to ensure that he was zombie, may just be a coincidence, but the irony that he, Ben (Duane Jones) manages to survive until the end only be to gunned down in the final moments, is a tragedy that sums up this film’s tone.
With a killer child, a nude female zombie, a dysfunctional couple and the first named victim displaying a complacent contempt for God and the church, this group are real, though the acting standards are variable, the writing and direction are constantly very good, with a sense or gritty realism permeating throughout. Maintained by good pacing and gruesome cannibalistic action, this raised the bar of the genre, both now and then.
Even the zombies get a reasonable, yet none definitive explanation, as told through the radio and TV news. Radiation bringing the dead back to life, well, it may be the trope of 1960’s sci fi but it was well explained and the news reports were well composed, feeling more realistic than most movie news broadcasts.
Romero may have gone on to milk this franchise for all it is worth in the decades since but this opening low budget gem is a real piece of work; A complex moral drama set on one chaotic night in which the dead become living again.
ArecRain (8 KP) rated Servant: The Awakening (Servant, #1) in Books
Jan 18, 2018
I had to force myself past the first few pages due to their confusing descriptions and use of wording. Once I passed those, however, the novel went by fairly quickly.
First off, I would like to say that you can tell Fantasy/Sci-fi are not Ms. Foster's usual territory. It seemed that she was so focused on developing the romance part of the novel that she completely forgot that there was suppose to be plot development, too. She did bother to come up with a plot but it was neither creative nor original. A doctor abusing patients for their own purposes? A female heroine with special powers trying to stop an evil while a man who is her exact opposite is somehow attracted to her and demands that she do as he says to keep her safe? Nope, not original at all.
I was also annoyed by the complete lack of character history. I felt that Ms. Foster purposely made Gaby an abused victim to foster home with a lack of education. It worked out for Foster seeing as that Gaby as an educational unintelligent person who lack major social skill fit into the story rather well. I just wished that Foster had come up with a better background than that. It just seemed to like a lazy way out. Not to mention that she barely mention's Mort's history, and Luther's is just non-existent.
All in all, the story didn't seem original or well developed but I couldn't stop myself from reading it. I admit it's not a great novel, or even good for that matter. I still must also admit that I liked it and couldn't put it down. I bought the book for the paranormal aspect but ended up reading it for the romance. I just had to see if Luther and Gaby hooked up. However, Gaby's personality and mouth made it hard. I understand that they way she talked and acted was part of the character that was Gabrielle Cody, yet all her foul language and agreeableness made the novel unpleasant to read. I am not offending by cursing, but Gaby's was excessive to the point of annoying. Growing up where I have, it was unbelievable, however.
An interesting book if not taken seriously.
First off, I would like to say that you can tell Fantasy/Sci-fi are not Ms. Foster's usual territory. It seemed that she was so focused on developing the romance part of the novel that she completely forgot that there was suppose to be plot development, too. She did bother to come up with a plot but it was neither creative nor original. A doctor abusing patients for their own purposes? A female heroine with special powers trying to stop an evil while a man who is her exact opposite is somehow attracted to her and demands that she do as he says to keep her safe? Nope, not original at all.
I was also annoyed by the complete lack of character history. I felt that Ms. Foster purposely made Gaby an abused victim to foster home with a lack of education. It worked out for Foster seeing as that Gaby as an educational unintelligent person who lack major social skill fit into the story rather well. I just wished that Foster had come up with a better background than that. It just seemed to like a lazy way out. Not to mention that she barely mention's Mort's history, and Luther's is just non-existent.
All in all, the story didn't seem original or well developed but I couldn't stop myself from reading it. I admit it's not a great novel, or even good for that matter. I still must also admit that I liked it and couldn't put it down. I bought the book for the paranormal aspect but ended up reading it for the romance. I just had to see if Luther and Gaby hooked up. However, Gaby's personality and mouth made it hard. I understand that they way she talked and acted was part of the character that was Gabrielle Cody, yet all her foul language and agreeableness made the novel unpleasant to read. I am not offending by cursing, but Gaby's was excessive to the point of annoying. Growing up where I have, it was unbelievable, however.
An interesting book if not taken seriously.
Darren (1599 KP) rated 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) in Movies
Jun 20, 2019
Story: You may spend most of this film scratching you head trying to figure out what the hell is going on, but once you get the reveal you will see how good the story is. Giving the audience plenty of questions makes this something many of the new modern film fail to do with all the spoon feed answers. (10/10)
Actor Review: Keir Dullea – Doctor Dave Bowman who has to react to stop H.A.L taking over the space shuttle and fulfil the mission. Top performance on how to convince with expression and body language. (10/10)
david
Actor Review: Gary Lockwood – Doctor Frank Poole who goes on the spacewalk mission before starting to question the methods of the computer H.A.L. Great performance using more action than words to signify his motives. (9/10)
Director Review: Stanley Kubrick – Brilliant piece of directing from a man who redefined a generation of film makers. (10/10)
Sci-Fi: wonderful creation of a space like atmosphere. (10/10)
Special Effects: Stunning special effects that have hardly aged a day. (10/10)
Music: Excellent use of music. (10/10)
Cinematography: Amazing usage of cinematography throughout the film. (10/10)
Believability: Space is still a wife unknown so this is down to what you believe is out there or could happen out there. (5/10)
Chances of Tears: (0/10)
Settings: Set mostly in the middle of space, with nowhere to turn for help perfectly for the creation of the edge of your seat atmosphere created. (10/10)
Oscar Chances: Won one Oscar for Special effects.
Chances of Sequel: Nope
Suggestion: All film fans should watch this as it really is a masterpiece. The casual film fan will struggle to get into the film with the drawn out opening 25 minutes of no dialogue and strong use of music. If you were to look back and see where some of the best films come from this is where it is, this is a true history lesson in film watching this. (Watch)
Best Part: The mystery of what is going on.
Worst Part: May be hard to grab the attention of a casual film fan.
Trivia: There is 88minutes with no dialogue.
Overall: A masterpiece that stands the test of time
https://moviesreview101.com/2013/12/18/2001-a-space-odyssey-1968/
Actor Review: Keir Dullea – Doctor Dave Bowman who has to react to stop H.A.L taking over the space shuttle and fulfil the mission. Top performance on how to convince with expression and body language. (10/10)
david
Actor Review: Gary Lockwood – Doctor Frank Poole who goes on the spacewalk mission before starting to question the methods of the computer H.A.L. Great performance using more action than words to signify his motives. (9/10)
Director Review: Stanley Kubrick – Brilliant piece of directing from a man who redefined a generation of film makers. (10/10)
Sci-Fi: wonderful creation of a space like atmosphere. (10/10)
Special Effects: Stunning special effects that have hardly aged a day. (10/10)
Music: Excellent use of music. (10/10)
Cinematography: Amazing usage of cinematography throughout the film. (10/10)
Believability: Space is still a wife unknown so this is down to what you believe is out there or could happen out there. (5/10)
Chances of Tears: (0/10)
Settings: Set mostly in the middle of space, with nowhere to turn for help perfectly for the creation of the edge of your seat atmosphere created. (10/10)
Oscar Chances: Won one Oscar for Special effects.
Chances of Sequel: Nope
Suggestion: All film fans should watch this as it really is a masterpiece. The casual film fan will struggle to get into the film with the drawn out opening 25 minutes of no dialogue and strong use of music. If you were to look back and see where some of the best films come from this is where it is, this is a true history lesson in film watching this. (Watch)
Best Part: The mystery of what is going on.
Worst Part: May be hard to grab the attention of a casual film fan.
Trivia: There is 88minutes with no dialogue.
Overall: A masterpiece that stands the test of time
https://moviesreview101.com/2013/12/18/2001-a-space-odyssey-1968/
Andy K (10821 KP) Jan 22, 2020
Phillip McSween (751 KP) Jan 23, 2020