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My Spy (2019)
My Spy (2019)
2019 | Comedy, Family
Eleven months after first being slated for release we finally got My Spy in the cinema. With its predecessors like Playing With Fire, The Pacifier and The Game Plan leaving a very mixed tough guy/kid's movie playing field I wasn't expecting great things.

JJ has stepped over the line one too many times and now he's relegated to surveillance with Bobbi, the agency tech wizard. Their mission is to stay put and watch the wife and child of a man who was connected to the case.

When they get to their stakeout position the last thing they expect is to be made by the very person they're watching. Sophie may only be 9 but she's no fool and she's about to use her new found leverage to her benefit.

I absolutely loved this, it was looking a little rough at the start but I genuinely enjoyed myself once it hit its stride.

But it was a 12A? Honestly astounded to see that pop up at the beginning, I would have assumed it would be a PG, but that extra allowance gave the film a bit more colour.

This comedy felt perfect for Dave Bautista, I don't think I've seen him in a role that really felt suited to him, I like his humour but even the lovable Drax was always a bit off. Everest in Hotel Artemis was probably the best until I saw this. I love that he got a chance to do a mix of drama and comedy all in one film.

His pairing with Kristen Schaal as Bobbi was such fun. Their completely different approaches coupled with her to-the-point attitude make for a great team. Bobbi's adoration and desire to do more fieldwork is played off incredibly well.

I'm not usually a fan of child actors, it can seem forced and unnatural, but Chloe Coleman as Sophie is savage and I love it. Her standing up to JJ and her vulnerable side comes over so well, I genuinely enjoyed her acting and her comic timing, I can't wait to see her in more things.

The only actor I would query is Ken Jeong, he's funny and I find him generally amusing in most things he does but in this A) he wasn't entirely believable in the role and B) his humour was a step apart from the rest of the script, his parts in particular weren't in scenes designed for humour. It was the only part of the film that made me pause as I watched it, but it wasn't a massively negative impact on the whole.

We get some great settings and amazing action style sequences, the ones with both Bautista and Coleman had some real heart and humour. The whole storyline where he teaches her how to spy is amusing and well done.

I really did enjoy My Spy, that 12A totally helped it from being like those before it, the script could be aimed more at adults and the humour could cover both adult and children's amusement, it's a great stress-free film and I would absolutely watch it again.

Originally posted on: https://emmaatthemovies.blogspot.com/2020/04/my-spy-movie-review.html
  
Brooklyn Nine-Nine  - Season 1
Brooklyn Nine-Nine - Season 1
2013 | Comedy
Hilarious
I usually avoid comedy shows, mostly because I have a very discerning/picky sense of humour and I've never really been able to get into most mainstream comedy shows (Friends, Big Bang etc). Whilst Brooklyn Nine-Nine probably isn't quite mainstream, it's by far the funniest show I've seen in a long time.

Andy Samberg is a writing genius, and a great actor too. I can't imagine anyone else playing Peralta as well as he does. Andre Braugher too is brilliantly deadpan as the Captain, and even Terry Crews is pretty funny. This is such a smart, witty and funny show, and I love that the humour is deadpan and just adult enough without bordering on crude or too childish. I'm also so happy that this show doesn't rely on the usual cheesy canned laughter that comes with sitcoms, and it's all the better off for it. This isn't a typical formulaic cop show, but you wouldn't expect it. Most of the plots are entirely irrelevant but there is at least a lot of character development over the course of the series.

I'm only one series in but I can't get enough of this show. I haven't laughed out loud like this in forever!
  
Guards! Guards! Discworld Novel 8
Guards! Guards! Discworld Novel 8
Tony Robinson, Terry Pratchett, Ben Aaronovitch | 2012 | Fiction & Poetry
9
8.4 (10 Ratings)
Book Rating
A great introduction to the City Watch
You've got to hand it to Terry Pratchett, he knows how to write a good fantasy novel.

Guards! Guards! is yet another great Discworld novel, and the first to introduce Captain Vimes and the City Watch. Vimes himself is a loveable anti-hero who develops greatly over the course of the novel and the same too can be said for the other members of the Watch. Carrot the 'dwarf' provides a real introduction to the Watch and also a lot of the humour from his exploits, and I loved seeing a lot more of the Librarian.


The plot itself on the face of it is a fantasy fairy tale filled story of dragons, maidens and heroes. But with every Pratchett novel, beneath it lies dark wit and humour, and a slightly sad social commentary on human greed and corruption. There are a lot of references in this to other media, like The Hobbit, which really poke fun at the myths and lore used in the fantasy genre.


A great read with some very engaging characters. A little rambling at times, but fortunately the rest of the book makes up for it! Discworld books are the only books that can really make me laugh out loud.
  
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (2018)
2018 | Action, Animation, Sci-Fi
An absolute joy from start to finish
Into the Spider-Verse is nothing short of excellent.

The animation style is beautiful, quirky, packed with colour, and doesn't let go of your attention until the credits have finished rolling.
The assembled voice cast are all great, and compliment the emotion and humour felt throughout.
The humour in question is flawless...every joke and humourous beat land perfectly. It's a funny movie, as well as carrying along a powerful message about growing up, and realising that you're not alone.

The storyline is pretty crazy, and as it deals with multiple dimensions, there's a chance to pull in some fun characters from the comic world, including Peni Parker, Spider-Ham, Spider Gwen, and Spider-Man Noir (hilarious btw). It's definitely out there, but it works very well.

Miles' universe, where the movie takes place, is a setting that allows the writers to take free reign, tinkering with classic villains we know and love, making this a Spider-Man movie worth seeing for fans old and new.

Possibly the best Spider-Man movie yet (maybe in a par with Far From Home).





End note - the post credit scene is just the best thing ever.
  
Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
2014 | Action, Sci-Fi
Now this is what I want in a Marvel film; plenty of action, great characters, and a nice dose of humour. By far one of my favourite MCU films; it’s just plain in your face FUN!

Helped by a very strong soundtrack this film has you straight into fun film mode. The banter between characters is enjoyable and largely all the humour hits the right notes. This is the first outing for Chris Pratt’s “Starlord” and somehow Marvel manage to pull off a Raccoon and a Tree as great supporting characters. Refusing to be dragged down to all too often trodden romance heavy track, kick ass Gamora, played by Zoe Salana, holds her own despite the obvious interest of Starlord Peter.

The film doesn't get too bogged down with being part of the huge all encompassing Marvel “big picture” instead taking the delightful time needed for us to fall in love with these new characters. While the larger Universes story line is still added to this film works fine on it’s own. For me this gave me the boost I needed to get more excited for Marvel films again having felt they had not got back to the heights Iron Man hit for me.
  
    Cawl

    Cawl

    Sion Tomos Owen

    (0 Ratings) Rate It

    Book

    Consisting of short stories, poems, essays, cartoons and comics, Cawl is an anthology of one...