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Making Every Primary Lesson Count: Six Principles to Support Great Teaching and Learning
Book
In Making Every Primary Lesson Count, full-time primary teachers Mel Scott and Jo Payne share easy,...
Dani Capello Shadows of Men
10.0
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"An endearing queer couple uplifts this romantic, unique, and occasionally violent tale." - Kirkus...
LGBTQ+ Coming of age literary
Darren (1599 KP) rated Spider-Man: Far From Home (2019) in Movies
Jul 3, 2019
Director: Jon Watts
Writer: Chris McKenna, Erik Sommers (Screenplay) Steve Ditko, Stan Lee (Comic Book)
Starring: Tom Holland, Jake Gyllenhaal, Zendaya, Samuel L Jackson, Jon Favreau, Angourie Rice, Jacob Batalon, Tony Revolori
Plot: Following the events of Avengers: Endgame, Spider-Man must step up to take on new threats in a world that has changed forever.
Runtime: 2 Hours 9 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Verdict: An Entertaining Jumble
Story: Spider-Man Far from Home starts when Peter Parker (Holland) and his classmates MJ (Zendaya), Ned (Batalon), Flash (Revolori) and others head off to Europe for a scientific school trip, Peter’s plan is to finally tell MJ how he feels, but things don’t go to plan.
Peter finds himself recruited by Nick Fury (Jackson) to help new superhero Quentin Beck known as Mysterio (Gyllenhaal) fight a new threat that is attacking cities in Europe, trying to decide if he is ready to tackle the added responsibility of being a superhero.
Thoughts on Spider-Man Far from Home
Characters – Peter Parker has two main storylines going on in this film, one side of him is the high school student that wants to tell the girl he likes his feeling, nervous and social awkward. The second one sees him facing the reality that he was hand picked to step up and help save the world, a decision which sees him wanting to just take a break from. Watching Peter balance the two is interesting because the high school one was the weaker side, the superhero side is very interesting to follow. Nick Fury is also adapting to life after the snap, where he isn’t in the same level of control on everything going on in the world, he wants Peter to come and work for him and doesn’t like being told no. They did try to recapture certain elements of the chemistry he had with Captain Marvel too. Quentin Beck is the new superhero dubbed Mysterio because of his powers and ability to defeat the elementals that have started attacking the major cities, he offers Peter a chance to discuss his position with having powers like nobody else has since Tony’s death. MJ is the girl of Peter’s dreams, she is very different to both versions of MJ we have seen before, being very distant to the rest of the class, but always manages to capture Peter watching her.
Performances – Tom Holland does do a very good job in the leading role, if it was just the high school side of the film, he does struggle at times, but it is the human effect of being a superhero that completely makes you believe what he is going through. Samuel L Jackson does what we expect from him in a supporting role, as does Zendaya who does everything without standing out. Jake Gyllenhaal though, he was a joy to watch especially in the second half of the film, he just takes his role and runs with it.
Story – The story here follows Peter Parker on his high school trip that gets interrupted to help try and save the world from a new threat, testing him to see if he is ready to replace Iron-Man. This like the character of Peter Parker can be broken down into two simple positives and negatives, the high school trip stuff, is there, most of it gets pretty boring quickly, it is here to help show a human life that he could have though. The superhero side of the story is the highlight because it does get to show how the once confident Peter is starting to question if he is ready to step up after seeing the consequences to what has happened to people in their lives. The villain is a surprise and while I won’t get into details, it is very entertaining to watch and could be one of the best they have bought to a stand alone film.
Action/Sci-Fi – The action in this film is brilliant to watch, it blends with the special effects and doesn’t turn into anything as ridiculous as it could be when you see the fights. The sci-fi element of the film does address the dangers of technology being in the wrong hands once again, but it all works for the story being shown here.
Settings – The film gives us the basic European settings, we have Venice, Prague, Berlin and London, you know well know locations that have large populations which could get destroyed.
Special Effects – The effects in the film did seem flawless, we do have large scale, dust, water and fire monsters used for battles which all look like they could be real along with certain twists in the story which only add to the effects.
Scene of the Movie – What is real?
That Moment That Annoyed Me – Most of the high school stuff.
Final Thoughts – This is a real mixed bag of a superhero movie, it could have been fantastic, only it gets too carried away dealing with the high school world which does drag things down.
Overall: Entertaining enough.
Rating
Writer: Chris McKenna, Erik Sommers (Screenplay) Steve Ditko, Stan Lee (Comic Book)
Starring: Tom Holland, Jake Gyllenhaal, Zendaya, Samuel L Jackson, Jon Favreau, Angourie Rice, Jacob Batalon, Tony Revolori
Plot: Following the events of Avengers: Endgame, Spider-Man must step up to take on new threats in a world that has changed forever.
Runtime: 2 Hours 9 Minutes
There may be spoilers in the rest of the review
Verdict: An Entertaining Jumble
Story: Spider-Man Far from Home starts when Peter Parker (Holland) and his classmates MJ (Zendaya), Ned (Batalon), Flash (Revolori) and others head off to Europe for a scientific school trip, Peter’s plan is to finally tell MJ how he feels, but things don’t go to plan.
Peter finds himself recruited by Nick Fury (Jackson) to help new superhero Quentin Beck known as Mysterio (Gyllenhaal) fight a new threat that is attacking cities in Europe, trying to decide if he is ready to tackle the added responsibility of being a superhero.
Thoughts on Spider-Man Far from Home
Characters – Peter Parker has two main storylines going on in this film, one side of him is the high school student that wants to tell the girl he likes his feeling, nervous and social awkward. The second one sees him facing the reality that he was hand picked to step up and help save the world, a decision which sees him wanting to just take a break from. Watching Peter balance the two is interesting because the high school one was the weaker side, the superhero side is very interesting to follow. Nick Fury is also adapting to life after the snap, where he isn’t in the same level of control on everything going on in the world, he wants Peter to come and work for him and doesn’t like being told no. They did try to recapture certain elements of the chemistry he had with Captain Marvel too. Quentin Beck is the new superhero dubbed Mysterio because of his powers and ability to defeat the elementals that have started attacking the major cities, he offers Peter a chance to discuss his position with having powers like nobody else has since Tony’s death. MJ is the girl of Peter’s dreams, she is very different to both versions of MJ we have seen before, being very distant to the rest of the class, but always manages to capture Peter watching her.
Performances – Tom Holland does do a very good job in the leading role, if it was just the high school side of the film, he does struggle at times, but it is the human effect of being a superhero that completely makes you believe what he is going through. Samuel L Jackson does what we expect from him in a supporting role, as does Zendaya who does everything without standing out. Jake Gyllenhaal though, he was a joy to watch especially in the second half of the film, he just takes his role and runs with it.
Story – The story here follows Peter Parker on his high school trip that gets interrupted to help try and save the world from a new threat, testing him to see if he is ready to replace Iron-Man. This like the character of Peter Parker can be broken down into two simple positives and negatives, the high school trip stuff, is there, most of it gets pretty boring quickly, it is here to help show a human life that he could have though. The superhero side of the story is the highlight because it does get to show how the once confident Peter is starting to question if he is ready to step up after seeing the consequences to what has happened to people in their lives. The villain is a surprise and while I won’t get into details, it is very entertaining to watch and could be one of the best they have bought to a stand alone film.
Action/Sci-Fi – The action in this film is brilliant to watch, it blends with the special effects and doesn’t turn into anything as ridiculous as it could be when you see the fights. The sci-fi element of the film does address the dangers of technology being in the wrong hands once again, but it all works for the story being shown here.
Settings – The film gives us the basic European settings, we have Venice, Prague, Berlin and London, you know well know locations that have large populations which could get destroyed.
Special Effects – The effects in the film did seem flawless, we do have large scale, dust, water and fire monsters used for battles which all look like they could be real along with certain twists in the story which only add to the effects.
Scene of the Movie – What is real?
That Moment That Annoyed Me – Most of the high school stuff.
Final Thoughts – This is a real mixed bag of a superhero movie, it could have been fantastic, only it gets too carried away dealing with the high school world which does drag things down.
Overall: Entertaining enough.
Rating
Perry Larkin (8 KP) rated Riverdale in TV
Dec 12, 2017
Gossip Girl meets 90210. Watching the first few episodes I saw every stereotype and High School TV show expectation splashed across the screen. Then I realized that the show itself knows that and starts making fun of itself. It is when I realized they weren't taking it too seriously, that I got serious about the show. Then the show gets darker and darker and actually becomes a contender for good TV. Thank you Josie and the Pussycats for the fun soundtrack addition. While Archie and Jughead fight over Betty and Veronica, I'm not sure if I'm lusting over Archie, Jughead or Kevin.
Dean (6925 KP) rated You Again (2010) in Movies
Aug 28, 2017
Surprisingly good
Quite a good premise as Kristen Bell's character goes through hell at high school. Only to discover years later her Brother is set to marry the girl who made her life difficult.
I didn't expect much from this but was surprised at the cast including Jamie Lee Curtis, Sigourney Weaver and even Betty White to name a few. Comedies around marriage seem popular in recent years and this reminded me of @The Proposal (2009) in many ways. It has similar humour based on the families clashing and settling old scores.
I didn't expect much from this but was surprised at the cast including Jamie Lee Curtis, Sigourney Weaver and even Betty White to name a few. Comedies around marriage seem popular in recent years and this reminded me of @The Proposal (2009) in many ways. It has similar humour based on the families clashing and settling old scores.
Movie Metropolis (309 KP) rated Final Destination (2000) in Movies
Jun 10, 2019
Released 17 years ago in March 2000, Final Destination revolutionised the teen-slasher genre for 00s after Scream did so well for the 90s generation of horror buffs.
The premise was perfectly realised as high-school students tried their best to cheat death after a horrific disaster. The plane sequence in this film still holds up today and remains one of the best horror moments in the last couple of decades.
The acting on the other hand, left a lot to be desired. Though a young Devon Sawa was a magnetic leading presence.
https://moviemetropolis.net/2017/10/15/final-destination-franchise-reviews/
The premise was perfectly realised as high-school students tried their best to cheat death after a horrific disaster. The plane sequence in this film still holds up today and remains one of the best horror moments in the last couple of decades.
The acting on the other hand, left a lot to be desired. Though a young Devon Sawa was a magnetic leading presence.
https://moviemetropolis.net/2017/10/15/final-destination-franchise-reviews/
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2171 KP) rated Too Rich and Too Dead (Murder Packs a Suitcase, #2) in Books
Mar 9, 2018
Travel reporter Mallory Marlowe is off to Aspen, Colorado, to write an article aimed at non-skiers. Part of it will focus on former high school acquaintance Carly, founder of a fancy resort. But when Carly is murdered, Mallory finds herself investigating that as well. This is the second book in the series, and I enjoyed it as much as the first thanks to the real characters and strong plot. I'm going to have to start reading the author's other series.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2013/05/book-review-too-rich-and-too-dead-by.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2013/05/book-review-too-rich-and-too-dead-by.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
Booksnthreads (19 KP) rated Beautiful Creatures (Caster Chronicles, #1) in Books
Jun 2, 2018
I’ll readily admit that I did not finish reading this book, and that is saying a lot coming from someone who will usually finish a book, even if I don’t really enjoy it.
I got about a hundred pages into this before I was so fed up with the characters that I just could not continue. These teenagers were so whiny and over dramatic that the6 made me appreciate the real-life preteens that I teach.
You’ll find far less melodrama in an actual classroom than in these pages. I imagine only actual high school students could stomach reading these caricatures of themselves.
I got about a hundred pages into this before I was so fed up with the characters that I just could not continue. These teenagers were so whiny and over dramatic that the6 made me appreciate the real-life preteens that I teach.
You’ll find far less melodrama in an actual classroom than in these pages. I imagine only actual high school students could stomach reading these caricatures of themselves.
Sarah Betts (103 KP) rated The Christmas Killer in Books
Dec 30, 2019
09-06-2009
12-21-2010
10-01-2012
I love this book so much. I remember it freaked me out when I was younger and it still provides some nice chills.
So, Rose (full name: Rosecleer) is a normal high school student until she starts having dreams that feature Nancy, a girl she barely knew but provided comfort to when it was really needed.
Several red herrings pop up as Rose tries to figure out why she is having these visions and also keeps herself from being run out of town when Nancy is discovered dead and several more girls disappear.
12-21-2010
10-01-2012
I love this book so much. I remember it freaked me out when I was younger and it still provides some nice chills.
So, Rose (full name: Rosecleer) is a normal high school student until she starts having dreams that feature Nancy, a girl she barely knew but provided comfort to when it was really needed.
Several red herrings pop up as Rose tries to figure out why she is having these visions and also keeps herself from being run out of town when Nancy is discovered dead and several more girls disappear.
Black Mass: Whitey Bulger, the FBI and a Devil's Deal
Book
THE NEW YORKTIMES BESTSELLER A gripping true story of violence, double-cross and corruption,...