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Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated Spies in Disguise (2019) in Movies
Jan 11, 2020
As my last cinema visit of 2019 I was just hoping for something passable to watch, animation his year has had a few hard knocks so I wasn't optimistic.
Lance is the world's greatest spy, catlike reflexes, excellent deduction skills as well as suave and sophisticated... all the things you'd expect. He's the golden boy of the agency and is ready for another pat on the back and some admiration. But it isn't his lucky day, the device he retrieved is missing from the case and now he's under investigation. He knows that he's innocent but there's damning evidence against him, his only hope is to clear his name, and the only way to do that is to escape the agency and track the real culprit down. His next problem, who can he trust?
This really is Bond for kids, everything is fantastically reminiscent of it, from his slightly too cocky demeanour to the brilliant opening credits. It's a pretty solid film, there's nothing much to dislike. It's essentially Bond mixed with Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs... what's not to love about that?!
I have to wonder about opening kids films this way, it seems to be very common at the moment. The lead needs to have a tragedy to get through the movie and have their moment of realisation. Playmobil did it in a much less subtle way, as did Wonder Park to some extent.
There aren't any real issues with the voice acting, though I do wonder about the choice of Ben Mendelsohn paired with his animated character, the two don't really match as well as the others. But that's not a deal-breaker.
The animation style is very clean and easy to watch. There are before and after shots of some scenes that show what the lighting guy does, it's really interesting to see. After having brought this topic up after seeing Klaus it was nice to see some of the "hidden" parts of animated films. The effort is immense.
Music is used well in parts of the film, and my favourite has to be the "romantic" portion towards the end, very amusingly set up and clearly well thought out.
Walter, our inventor, really does have the sort of imagination that would get him hired by Chester V. My favourite invention was probably the glitter distraction, I believe this may already exist though as it appears to have been deployed in my home over Christmas. This may be the only major continuity note... once Lance brushes the glitter off we don't see any little specks again, completely unrealistic!
There are a lot of great sequences during the film and the action moves it along quickly, add in the humour from the pigeons and all the gadgets and you get something really fun. I will definitely watch this again when it hits streaming. My score may seem a little off considering I didn't hate anything, the reason for this is that it's essentially a lot of other films mixed together. As I said, we've got Bond and Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs with an assortment of action movies and Home Alone 2 thrown in for good measure, which made it enjoyable but not instantly rewatchable.
Originally posted on: https://emmaatthemovies.blogspot.com/2020/01/spies-in-disguise-movie-review.html
Lance is the world's greatest spy, catlike reflexes, excellent deduction skills as well as suave and sophisticated... all the things you'd expect. He's the golden boy of the agency and is ready for another pat on the back and some admiration. But it isn't his lucky day, the device he retrieved is missing from the case and now he's under investigation. He knows that he's innocent but there's damning evidence against him, his only hope is to clear his name, and the only way to do that is to escape the agency and track the real culprit down. His next problem, who can he trust?
This really is Bond for kids, everything is fantastically reminiscent of it, from his slightly too cocky demeanour to the brilliant opening credits. It's a pretty solid film, there's nothing much to dislike. It's essentially Bond mixed with Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs... what's not to love about that?!
I have to wonder about opening kids films this way, it seems to be very common at the moment. The lead needs to have a tragedy to get through the movie and have their moment of realisation. Playmobil did it in a much less subtle way, as did Wonder Park to some extent.
There aren't any real issues with the voice acting, though I do wonder about the choice of Ben Mendelsohn paired with his animated character, the two don't really match as well as the others. But that's not a deal-breaker.
The animation style is very clean and easy to watch. There are before and after shots of some scenes that show what the lighting guy does, it's really interesting to see. After having brought this topic up after seeing Klaus it was nice to see some of the "hidden" parts of animated films. The effort is immense.
Music is used well in parts of the film, and my favourite has to be the "romantic" portion towards the end, very amusingly set up and clearly well thought out.
Walter, our inventor, really does have the sort of imagination that would get him hired by Chester V. My favourite invention was probably the glitter distraction, I believe this may already exist though as it appears to have been deployed in my home over Christmas. This may be the only major continuity note... once Lance brushes the glitter off we don't see any little specks again, completely unrealistic!
There are a lot of great sequences during the film and the action moves it along quickly, add in the humour from the pigeons and all the gadgets and you get something really fun. I will definitely watch this again when it hits streaming. My score may seem a little off considering I didn't hate anything, the reason for this is that it's essentially a lot of other films mixed together. As I said, we've got Bond and Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs with an assortment of action movies and Home Alone 2 thrown in for good measure, which made it enjoyable but not instantly rewatchable.
Originally posted on: https://emmaatthemovies.blogspot.com/2020/01/spies-in-disguise-movie-review.html
graveyardgremlin (7194 KP) rated The Good, the Bad, and the Undead (The Hollows, #2) in Books
Feb 15, 2019
Wow, another great book by Ms. Harrison! I loved <i>The Good, the Bad, and the Undead</i> and had a hard time putting it down. The only reason I'm not giving it a ten is for editing; there were mistakes using tenses (or it just could be possible missing letters) and a major forgotten character (not a major character, just part of this particular plot) that may be missing/dead/or who knows what. Also, since it has been awhile since I read <i>Dead Witch Walking</i>, I don't remember who Francis is and there's no mini-recap for him. Oh well, now I need to get the first book so I can re-read it! :)
As for the rest of the story, I really like Rachel, although I don't know about the direction the author is taking (or had taken) with Ivy; it just seems too much like the Anita Blake thing with what's-his-name, at least a tad bit. The way Nick was written in this book detracted from the little bit readers got out of the first book, and frankly, he could be a major pain-in-the-@$$! I'm a bit disappointed in how he's portrayed, but the other two males in this series are way more exciting and intriguing than he is. I'm sorry to say that, but it's the truth, and maybe Kim Harrison plans on phasing him out of future books. Luckily I have the next two books handy!
4.5 stars
As for the rest of the story, I really like Rachel, although I don't know about the direction the author is taking (or had taken) with Ivy; it just seems too much like the Anita Blake thing with what's-his-name, at least a tad bit. The way Nick was written in this book detracted from the little bit readers got out of the first book, and frankly, he could be a major pain-in-the-@$$! I'm a bit disappointed in how he's portrayed, but the other two males in this series are way more exciting and intriguing than he is. I'm sorry to say that, but it's the truth, and maybe Kim Harrison plans on phasing him out of future books. Luckily I have the next two books handy!
4.5 stars
Fred (860 KP) rated The Prisoner of Second Avenue (1975) in Movies
May 27, 2019
This is a comedy?
Okay, let me start by saying I love Neil Simon movies.The Odd Couple ranks up there in my top 10. I love the Out-of-Towners, love Murder By Death, the Sunshine Boys & many of his other films. In fact, I can say I liked every one of his movies I have ever seen. This being said, I went into watching Prisoner thinking it would be a laugh-out-loud comedy. Instead, the movie borders on full-blown drama. Sure, there are quick one-liners thrown out from Jack Lemmon towards Anne Bancroft, but these seem more like insults than zingers. Throughout the film, every line I knew was supposed to be funny made me crack a smile, but there are no burst out laughing jokes.
I guess we're supposed to feel sorry for Mel Edison & his wife. But, instead I find him to over-react at every little thing. He's a weak little man who probably deserves a lot more than he got. You feel more sorry for his wife for having to put up with him. Then later on, when the roles are reversed, you could care less about either character. The funniest parts of the movie have to do with the radio announcements made throughout the film. But 5 or 6 of these cannot hold this film together as a comedy.
It's not a bad film, & it was somewhat enjoyable to watch. The acting by Lemmon & Bancroft is top notch. But it's just not funny enough.
I guess we're supposed to feel sorry for Mel Edison & his wife. But, instead I find him to over-react at every little thing. He's a weak little man who probably deserves a lot more than he got. You feel more sorry for his wife for having to put up with him. Then later on, when the roles are reversed, you could care less about either character. The funniest parts of the movie have to do with the radio announcements made throughout the film. But 5 or 6 of these cannot hold this film together as a comedy.
It's not a bad film, & it was somewhat enjoyable to watch. The acting by Lemmon & Bancroft is top notch. But it's just not funny enough.
Goddess in the Stacks (553 KP) rated Gentleman's Guide To Vice And Virtue in Books
Jun 8, 2018
This was excellent! First, all the diversity here - between the bisexual main character, his best friend, who is biracial, has an "invisible" disability, and also likes men (or at least likes Monty!) and his seemingly asexual sister - the book covers so many facets, it's great.
Given that it's historical fiction, set in Victorian Europe, Percy's biracial heritage has him just seen as black to most people they encounter. Monty doesn't seem to understand what that means, most of the time, and is a little blinded by his rich white boy privilege. He gets talked to a couple of times about how he's being blind to the problems his friend is facing.
I liked that we got to peek under Monty's playboy facade a few times, when being punched has him flashing back to being beaten by his father for being a "disappointment." An interaction between him and a pirate captain was particularly sweet, teaching him to fight back because he's worth defending.
I LOVE Felicity, Monty's sister, and I'm really eager to read her story in the sequel to this book, The Lady's Guide to Petticoats and Piracy. She is so badass, and incredibly intelligent.
The writing was fun, the action well-paced, and the dialogue clever. I was a little put off at first by the size of the book, but I flew through it quickly. I especially liked Monty's bisexuality - how he just cheerfully perved on practically everyone his age. It definitely reminded me of a few people I know!
Something that I noted, near the end of the book, was Percy not asking Monty to stop his perving. What he said was "if you ever go behind my back..." which implies as long as Percy knows, it's not an issue. Yay for non-monogamy being present in YA! It's nice to see alternative relationship structures being presented, though I wish it had been more than just implied.
This was an excellent read for Pride Month, and I loved the amount of diversity and intersectionality present in it.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
Given that it's historical fiction, set in Victorian Europe, Percy's biracial heritage has him just seen as black to most people they encounter. Monty doesn't seem to understand what that means, most of the time, and is a little blinded by his rich white boy privilege. He gets talked to a couple of times about how he's being blind to the problems his friend is facing.
I liked that we got to peek under Monty's playboy facade a few times, when being punched has him flashing back to being beaten by his father for being a "disappointment." An interaction between him and a pirate captain was particularly sweet, teaching him to fight back because he's worth defending.
I LOVE Felicity, Monty's sister, and I'm really eager to read her story in the sequel to this book, The Lady's Guide to Petticoats and Piracy. She is so badass, and incredibly intelligent.
The writing was fun, the action well-paced, and the dialogue clever. I was a little put off at first by the size of the book, but I flew through it quickly. I especially liked Monty's bisexuality - how he just cheerfully perved on practically everyone his age. It definitely reminded me of a few people I know!
Something that I noted, near the end of the book, was Percy not asking Monty to stop his perving. What he said was "if you ever go behind my back..." which implies as long as Percy knows, it's not an issue. Yay for non-monogamy being present in YA! It's nice to see alternative relationship structures being presented, though I wish it had been more than just implied.
This was an excellent read for Pride Month, and I loved the amount of diversity and intersectionality present in it.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.wordpress.com
Goddess in the Stacks (553 KP) rated Darius the Great is Not Okay in Books
Dec 25, 2018
This novel got a lot of hype before and after its release - and it deserves it. It has great minority representation, from Persian (and bi-racial!) to Zoroastrian and Baha'i, to clinical depression and male friendship. You could also read gay and/or asexual into it, but that's not explicitly mentioned. Romantic love is just never addressed; perhaps because the story just doesn't involve it, but you could definitely read the main character as ace.
Darius is a great main character. He's funny, self-deprecating, and complex. He has clinical depression, is medicated for it, and can sometimes tell when it's the depression making him think a certain way, but sometimes he can't. He's biracial, visiting Iran and his mother's Persian family for the first time, and adjusting to Persian social norms and traditions while trying not to lose sight of his American life. His connection with his father is tenuous and fraught with miscommunication, and lot of the book is spent wrestling with that relationship. His new friend, Sohrab, is a great foil to that, as his father is completely absent from his life, having been arrested and thrown in jail prior to the start of the story, largely for being in the wrong place at the wrong time, and being part of a minority religion.
There are so many small things touched on this book - suspicion at customs when flying through, bullying at school for being Persian, not speaking his family's language because his mother didn't teach it to him (and feeling cut off because of it) - all little things that a lot of immigrant children deal with.
Aside from the cultural things the book addresses, there's also the mental health aspect. Both Darius and his father have clinical depression, and there's stigma attached to having the diagnosis, and to taking pills for it. We see how their mental states affects their relationship with each other and with the rest of their family, and it's quite powerful. The author talks about having clinical depression in an afterword, and includes some resources that helped him. This is an #ownvoices novel in more ways than one, and it really shows. Excellent book.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.com
Darius is a great main character. He's funny, self-deprecating, and complex. He has clinical depression, is medicated for it, and can sometimes tell when it's the depression making him think a certain way, but sometimes he can't. He's biracial, visiting Iran and his mother's Persian family for the first time, and adjusting to Persian social norms and traditions while trying not to lose sight of his American life. His connection with his father is tenuous and fraught with miscommunication, and lot of the book is spent wrestling with that relationship. His new friend, Sohrab, is a great foil to that, as his father is completely absent from his life, having been arrested and thrown in jail prior to the start of the story, largely for being in the wrong place at the wrong time, and being part of a minority religion.
There are so many small things touched on this book - suspicion at customs when flying through, bullying at school for being Persian, not speaking his family's language because his mother didn't teach it to him (and feeling cut off because of it) - all little things that a lot of immigrant children deal with.
Aside from the cultural things the book addresses, there's also the mental health aspect. Both Darius and his father have clinical depression, and there's stigma attached to having the diagnosis, and to taking pills for it. We see how their mental states affects their relationship with each other and with the rest of their family, and it's quite powerful. The author talks about having clinical depression in an afterword, and includes some resources that helped him. This is an #ownvoices novel in more ways than one, and it really shows. Excellent book.
You can find all my reviews at http://goddessinthestacks.com
Joey Santiago recommended Highway to Hell by AC/DC in Music (curated)
Dana (24 KP) rated Cress (The Lunar Chronicles, #3) in Books
Mar 23, 2018
There's going to be spoilers in the review, so be warned.
Marissa Meyer did it again! I have to say this series is a lot better than I had expected it to be. Since it is a book of fairy tale retellings, I expected it to be, not gonna lie, cliche as hell, but it isn't. Though it ties in aspects of the original fairy tales, they are still such separate things that I don't see it as a retelling as much.
Now, the introduction of the new characters, particularly Cress, Jacin, and Winter, was amazing. I love each of them in their own ways because they are not what one would expect them to be.
Cress is just a little ball of happy. I would not have expected her to be so lovely, especially after being mistreated for so much of her life! The little scenarios she makes up in order to get through each situation are just precious and super smart, if I am being completely honest! Cress is strong despite what she looks like. She has the capability of hacking anything she wishes, but even more that that, she is thrown (literally) to Earth after spending seven years basically in isolation and has to learn how to survive and keep another person (who she has a major crush on) alive as well. That's a lot to ask of a girl, but she does it with a smile on her face. If that isn't strength, then I don't know what is.
Then we go onto Jacin Clay. Now this boy is an enigma that I just can't quite figure out yet, but I have a feeling that I will in the next book. So he is a shell in the employ of Sybil, and therefore the queen, but kind of wants to rebel against them because he is in love with the princess, Winter. It gets confusing because Cinder thinks he is a supporter of Selene (her) instead of thinking of the more obvious choice. Jacin seems like he's going to be a pretty okay character, but we haven't gotten enough interaction with him for me to sort him out. There was that last scene in the book where he says he was on the Queen's side the whole time, but I don't think he's telling the truth. There's just something about him that seems trustworthy, and maybe that's myself being too naive, but I want to like him.
Finally, for the new characters, we get to Winter. She seems like a sweet girl, although going a bit mad, but understandably so. She, too, is a captive to the queen, and though it may seem that she has it better because she gets to be on Luna, that also means she is under constant scrutiny. We only get to see her really in one scene, so I can't wait to see what will come of her in the next book!
I loved getting to see all of the old characters again. Thorne is such a romantic loser, I love him so much. He just wants to act all tough, but he's got a major soft spot for Cress and Cinder. Speaking of, Cinder is getting more badass, which I appreciate. She's got some good plans too, so I want to see how that all pans out. Scarlet needs to be rescued ASAP. I need her and Wolf to be besties (and in a relationship forever because, yeah). Wolf needs to be happy, in general.
Now, I'm giving Kai his own paragraph because he is actually doing things in this book. Yay for active King!! Yes, he makes some stupid mistakes. And yes, he got misinformation about Princess Selene, but holy crap he got close to the truth! I am just happy he is taking action, but especially that he and Cinder are in the same space again. (get it...space? I crack myself up). No, but really, the laws he is trying to impose are sound and I stand by them. He is acknowledging the wrongs that have been put into place and is trying to change them for the better, all while sacrificing his own happiness for his country, and inevitably, the world. Go Kai!
I cannot wait to read the next book (but I have to buy it first!!)!!
Marissa Meyer did it again! I have to say this series is a lot better than I had expected it to be. Since it is a book of fairy tale retellings, I expected it to be, not gonna lie, cliche as hell, but it isn't. Though it ties in aspects of the original fairy tales, they are still such separate things that I don't see it as a retelling as much.
Now, the introduction of the new characters, particularly Cress, Jacin, and Winter, was amazing. I love each of them in their own ways because they are not what one would expect them to be.
Cress is just a little ball of happy. I would not have expected her to be so lovely, especially after being mistreated for so much of her life! The little scenarios she makes up in order to get through each situation are just precious and super smart, if I am being completely honest! Cress is strong despite what she looks like. She has the capability of hacking anything she wishes, but even more that that, she is thrown (literally) to Earth after spending seven years basically in isolation and has to learn how to survive and keep another person (who she has a major crush on) alive as well. That's a lot to ask of a girl, but she does it with a smile on her face. If that isn't strength, then I don't know what is.
Then we go onto Jacin Clay. Now this boy is an enigma that I just can't quite figure out yet, but I have a feeling that I will in the next book. So he is a shell in the employ of Sybil, and therefore the queen, but kind of wants to rebel against them because he is in love with the princess, Winter. It gets confusing because Cinder thinks he is a supporter of Selene (her) instead of thinking of the more obvious choice. Jacin seems like he's going to be a pretty okay character, but we haven't gotten enough interaction with him for me to sort him out. There was that last scene in the book where he says he was on the Queen's side the whole time, but I don't think he's telling the truth. There's just something about him that seems trustworthy, and maybe that's myself being too naive, but I want to like him.
Finally, for the new characters, we get to Winter. She seems like a sweet girl, although going a bit mad, but understandably so. She, too, is a captive to the queen, and though it may seem that she has it better because she gets to be on Luna, that also means she is under constant scrutiny. We only get to see her really in one scene, so I can't wait to see what will come of her in the next book!
I loved getting to see all of the old characters again. Thorne is such a romantic loser, I love him so much. He just wants to act all tough, but he's got a major soft spot for Cress and Cinder. Speaking of, Cinder is getting more badass, which I appreciate. She's got some good plans too, so I want to see how that all pans out. Scarlet needs to be rescued ASAP. I need her and Wolf to be besties (and in a relationship forever because, yeah). Wolf needs to be happy, in general.
Now, I'm giving Kai his own paragraph because he is actually doing things in this book. Yay for active King!! Yes, he makes some stupid mistakes. And yes, he got misinformation about Princess Selene, but holy crap he got close to the truth! I am just happy he is taking action, but especially that he and Cinder are in the same space again. (get it...space? I crack myself up). No, but really, the laws he is trying to impose are sound and I stand by them. He is acknowledging the wrongs that have been put into place and is trying to change them for the better, all while sacrificing his own happiness for his country, and inevitably, the world. Go Kai!
I cannot wait to read the next book (but I have to buy it first!!)!!
Graham Lewis recommended After the Gold Rush by Neil Young in Music (curated)
Merissa (13778 KP) rated Everything (Songbird, #3) in Books
Apr 11, 2023
Everything is the third book in the Songbird Series and is about the baby of the 3 - Jody. She was the one who was always bubbly and positive but that changed when she went to college, fell in love with the wrong man, got pregnant and had to put her life on hold. Instead of moving forwards, she finds herself moving back home to her father as she tries to cope with having a young baby whilst being so very young herself.
The thing I loved about this book is that Jody feels sorry for herself at times, but she doesn't wallow in it. Feeling sorry for yourself when things get on top of you - especially when you're dealing with the constant tiredness that comes with a newborn! - is only natural. She has her moment and then tries to think of what she can do to change matters. She's afraid to go it alone but is also prepared to face that fear to make a better life for herself and her daughter.
Leo has his own struggles to deal with and does sort of have an ulterior motive when offering Jody a place to live and a job, but he doesn't act on anything. He gives Jody the space and confidence she needs to stand tall. Of course, the fact that he's completely in love with Angelia is completely irrelevant ;)
This is a wonderful story which can be read as a standalone but I personally would recommend reading the whole series, simply because you're missing out on two other fantastic books if you don't read them.
Highly recommended for all fans of Contemporary Romance.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
August 7, 2016
The thing I loved about this book is that Jody feels sorry for herself at times, but she doesn't wallow in it. Feeling sorry for yourself when things get on top of you - especially when you're dealing with the constant tiredness that comes with a newborn! - is only natural. She has her moment and then tries to think of what she can do to change matters. She's afraid to go it alone but is also prepared to face that fear to make a better life for herself and her daughter.
Leo has his own struggles to deal with and does sort of have an ulterior motive when offering Jody a place to live and a job, but he doesn't act on anything. He gives Jody the space and confidence she needs to stand tall. Of course, the fact that he's completely in love with Angelia is completely irrelevant ;)
This is a wonderful story which can be read as a standalone but I personally would recommend reading the whole series, simply because you're missing out on two other fantastic books if you don't read them.
Highly recommended for all fans of Contemporary Romance.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
August 7, 2016