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Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated Playmobil: The Movie (2019) in Movies
Jun 20, 2020
What can I say about Playmobil The Movie? You know how in real life Playmobil is naff when you compare it to Lego? ... Yeah.
"It's obviously a rip off of the Lego movies!" - Direct quote from my friend's son, and he's not wrong. It's basically a reverse, here people go into the fictional world whereas in the Lego movies the fictional world experiences the real world. There are many things that are reversed. Lego remembers its characters limitations, Playmobil doesn't. Lego is entertaining, Playmobil... isn't. I like daft humour so this should have been a hit with me. "But Emma, it isn't made for you." Well yes, but even I laugh at children's films, and there's definitely an aspect of it directed at adults and they don't hit either.
The beginning of the film is an experience. It opens with a musical number that doesn't have any impact at all, it's also quickly forgotten as the fun is interrupted by police officers arriving at the house. I saw with my jaw slowly dropping, this is a U rated films, they weren't really going to start it by... oh, yep, they did.
This change of mood was quite shocking to watch. It's an emergency stop of plot points, and not something that just adults would notice. A child a few rows in front turned to his mum and said "what happened?!" I unfortunately couldn't hear how she responded.
When it comes to humour, apart from one chuckle that appears in the trailer there was only one thing that I laughed at. I really did laugh out loud. It wasn't a great joke, it was verging on dad joke territory but the delivery was incredible.
I was surprisingly annoyed by the fact that at the beginning (and in the trailer) Marla doesn't know how to walk with her new Playmobil legs, yet moments later she's crawling before going back to not knowing how to walk. I don't expect a masterpiece, but I do expect at least some consistency.
Playmobil leaves me at a loss, I can't really identify anything exciting about the film. The story isn't very inspiring and the characters don't give you anything to identify with despite having the opportunity. The film also suffers from excess, storyline that goes nowhere, characters that don't get used for any real purpose... I don't think this was a particularly good attempt at bringing this toy to life, it might have been more suited to short skits in a TV series or the cutting room floor.
Originally posted on: https://emmaatthemovies.blogspot.com/2019/08/playmobil-movie-review.html
"It's obviously a rip off of the Lego movies!" - Direct quote from my friend's son, and he's not wrong. It's basically a reverse, here people go into the fictional world whereas in the Lego movies the fictional world experiences the real world. There are many things that are reversed. Lego remembers its characters limitations, Playmobil doesn't. Lego is entertaining, Playmobil... isn't. I like daft humour so this should have been a hit with me. "But Emma, it isn't made for you." Well yes, but even I laugh at children's films, and there's definitely an aspect of it directed at adults and they don't hit either.
The beginning of the film is an experience. It opens with a musical number that doesn't have any impact at all, it's also quickly forgotten as the fun is interrupted by police officers arriving at the house. I saw with my jaw slowly dropping, this is a U rated films, they weren't really going to start it by... oh, yep, they did.
This change of mood was quite shocking to watch. It's an emergency stop of plot points, and not something that just adults would notice. A child a few rows in front turned to his mum and said "what happened?!" I unfortunately couldn't hear how she responded.
When it comes to humour, apart from one chuckle that appears in the trailer there was only one thing that I laughed at. I really did laugh out loud. It wasn't a great joke, it was verging on dad joke territory but the delivery was incredible.
I was surprisingly annoyed by the fact that at the beginning (and in the trailer) Marla doesn't know how to walk with her new Playmobil legs, yet moments later she's crawling before going back to not knowing how to walk. I don't expect a masterpiece, but I do expect at least some consistency.
Playmobil leaves me at a loss, I can't really identify anything exciting about the film. The story isn't very inspiring and the characters don't give you anything to identify with despite having the opportunity. The film also suffers from excess, storyline that goes nowhere, characters that don't get used for any real purpose... I don't think this was a particularly good attempt at bringing this toy to life, it might have been more suited to short skits in a TV series or the cutting room floor.
Originally posted on: https://emmaatthemovies.blogspot.com/2019/08/playmobil-movie-review.html
LeftSideCut (3776 KP) rated Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) in Movies
Nov 13, 2020
2014 was a damn fine year for Marvel Studios in terms of quality, their two outputs being The Winter Soldier and Guardians of the Galaxy. They're just a big double-whammy example of how comic book movies can get things right.
GOTG was a very niche property before hand. A bunch of little know Marvel characters galavanting around space, with revolving line ups involving inconsistent degrees of absurdity. The fact that batshit crazy characters such as Groot and Rocket Raccoon are now household names is an indication of just how effective this movie was.
James Gunn proves that he is the man for the job by melding together his own signature style (alongside his regular collaborator Michael Rooker of course) with the tried and tested Marvel formula of big action, and frequent humour. It's a toss up between this and Thor Ragnarok for funniest MCU movie for sure. Nearly every joke lands well, and unlike the sequel, the humour is never overdone. The balance is near perfect.
The cast are mainly to thank for that of course. Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, and the voice talents of Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel make up the titular Guardians, and they are all unique and have intriguing back stories. They are well developed as the film plays out, and together make for an irreplaceable band of misfits.
The supporting cast include the aformentioned Michael Rooker, Karen Gillan, John C. Reilly, Lee Pace, Glenn Close, Peter Serafinowicz, Sean Gunn, Djimon Hounsou, Benicio Del Toro, and a first appearance by Josh Brolin as Thanos... It's another undeniably impressive ensemble cast for the MCU.
The special effects on display here are incredible. The whole film looks amazing and the big set pieces are hugely entertaining, and emotionally charged...These characters make a quick impression!
The only real criticism I have is that Ronan the Accuser, this films main antagonist, feels a little wasted. He looks great, and Lee Pace does the best with what he's given, but by the time the credits roll, he unfortunately joins the big pile of disposable MCU villains.
It's a small gripe when compared to all the good in this movie - that includes it's fantastic soundtrack by the way.
Guardians of the Galaxy is wonderful. It's proof that studios no longer have to rely on the big A-list names to make a great film, and as a result, this opened the doors for even more weird and wonderful characters to make their way into this behemoth of a series. One of my personal favourite MCU entries.
GOTG was a very niche property before hand. A bunch of little know Marvel characters galavanting around space, with revolving line ups involving inconsistent degrees of absurdity. The fact that batshit crazy characters such as Groot and Rocket Raccoon are now household names is an indication of just how effective this movie was.
James Gunn proves that he is the man for the job by melding together his own signature style (alongside his regular collaborator Michael Rooker of course) with the tried and tested Marvel formula of big action, and frequent humour. It's a toss up between this and Thor Ragnarok for funniest MCU movie for sure. Nearly every joke lands well, and unlike the sequel, the humour is never overdone. The balance is near perfect.
The cast are mainly to thank for that of course. Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, and the voice talents of Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel make up the titular Guardians, and they are all unique and have intriguing back stories. They are well developed as the film plays out, and together make for an irreplaceable band of misfits.
The supporting cast include the aformentioned Michael Rooker, Karen Gillan, John C. Reilly, Lee Pace, Glenn Close, Peter Serafinowicz, Sean Gunn, Djimon Hounsou, Benicio Del Toro, and a first appearance by Josh Brolin as Thanos... It's another undeniably impressive ensemble cast for the MCU.
The special effects on display here are incredible. The whole film looks amazing and the big set pieces are hugely entertaining, and emotionally charged...These characters make a quick impression!
The only real criticism I have is that Ronan the Accuser, this films main antagonist, feels a little wasted. He looks great, and Lee Pace does the best with what he's given, but by the time the credits roll, he unfortunately joins the big pile of disposable MCU villains.
It's a small gripe when compared to all the good in this movie - that includes it's fantastic soundtrack by the way.
Guardians of the Galaxy is wonderful. It's proof that studios no longer have to rely on the big A-list names to make a great film, and as a result, this opened the doors for even more weird and wonderful characters to make their way into this behemoth of a series. One of my personal favourite MCU entries.
Jesters_folly (230 KP) rated Guns Akimbo (2019) in Movies
Jan 17, 2021
Contains spoilers, click to show
I'll start by saying that 'Guns Akimbo' is not for everyone. It's an ultra-violent, stupid, no brain action/comedy movie, and it doesn't pretended to be anything else. If you've seen the picture/meme of Daniel Radcliffe standing in a street in a dressing gown and bear-feet slippers waving two guns around then you've seen a publicity shot (and in some cases the DVD/Blu-ray cover) for' Guns Akimbo'.
The films premise is simple(ish), Miles (Daniel 'Harry Potter' Radcliffe) is a programmer for a mobile games company who's main outlet it getting inappropriate videos taken down and confronting internet Trolls. One day he comes across a site for 'Skizm', a real life, ultra violent game. Skizm don't take kindly to some of Miles's comments and break into his home and drug him. When Miles wakes up he has a gun bolted to both of his hands and is told that he has to kill Nix, the current top Skizm player or she will kill him.
'Guns Akimbo' does not hold back on anything, the film is filled with violence and drug use (including comparing the use of an asthma inhaler to taking cocaine), the humour is often immature (see Miles trying to work out how to go to the loo with guns bolted to his hands) and the sound track is fast and thumping. The film is made to feel like a real life computer game almost in the same way as 'Scott Pilgrim vs the World' and, in some ways comparing Guns Akimbo to Scott Pilgrim isn't wrong, Guns Akimbo is a lot more violent but, if Scot Pilgrim is a fighting game (such as Mortal Combat) then Guns Akimbo is a Doom Style shoot 'em Up. Guns Akimbo even has Scot Pilgrim style graphics occasionally interspersed through out.
The main problem I had with 'Guns Akimbo' is that it hasn't got a U.K. release, it's been released almost everywhere else but not here and, with no information as to why or when I can only assume that it's because our all powerful BBFC won't rate it or, at the very least want too many cuts to make it 15.
So, if you want an over the top violent film that you don't need to think about and you don't mind drug use, blood and daft humour then give 'Guns Akimbo' a go. Oddly there is no sex, I think this must be because it would get in the way of the violence.
The films premise is simple(ish), Miles (Daniel 'Harry Potter' Radcliffe) is a programmer for a mobile games company who's main outlet it getting inappropriate videos taken down and confronting internet Trolls. One day he comes across a site for 'Skizm', a real life, ultra violent game. Skizm don't take kindly to some of Miles's comments and break into his home and drug him. When Miles wakes up he has a gun bolted to both of his hands and is told that he has to kill Nix, the current top Skizm player or she will kill him.
'Guns Akimbo' does not hold back on anything, the film is filled with violence and drug use (including comparing the use of an asthma inhaler to taking cocaine), the humour is often immature (see Miles trying to work out how to go to the loo with guns bolted to his hands) and the sound track is fast and thumping. The film is made to feel like a real life computer game almost in the same way as 'Scott Pilgrim vs the World' and, in some ways comparing Guns Akimbo to Scott Pilgrim isn't wrong, Guns Akimbo is a lot more violent but, if Scot Pilgrim is a fighting game (such as Mortal Combat) then Guns Akimbo is a Doom Style shoot 'em Up. Guns Akimbo even has Scot Pilgrim style graphics occasionally interspersed through out.
The main problem I had with 'Guns Akimbo' is that it hasn't got a U.K. release, it's been released almost everywhere else but not here and, with no information as to why or when I can only assume that it's because our all powerful BBFC won't rate it or, at the very least want too many cuts to make it 15.
So, if you want an over the top violent film that you don't need to think about and you don't mind drug use, blood and daft humour then give 'Guns Akimbo' a go. Oddly there is no sex, I think this must be because it would get in the way of the violence.
Worms Crazy Golf HD
Games and Entertainment
App
4/4 - “Must Have” - “Terrific fun that mixes classic Worms game play with golf, resulting in a...
Otway93 (580 KP) rated the PlayStation 4 version of LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga in Video Games
Apr 26, 2022
Character Roster (2 more)
Humour
Gameplay
Character Skins (3 more)
Collectibles
Replayability
Crashing
The Force was with them...mostly.
Contains spoilers, click to show
After 2 years of waiting, it's finally here, and for the most part, we are not disappointed! As someone who was there for the release of the original Lego Star Wars in 2005, I can say things have got better, and things have got worse. It balances out pretty well.
The game allows us to play through one of the most important and popular cinematic sagas in history, never missing a moment as far as I've noticed, and not forgetting that hilarious Lego video game humour that we've come to love over the years.
With around 380 characters (kind of, I'll get to that) to unlock and play as, from the most beloved characters to the guy you forgot existed and still don't really remember from the films, you have character choices aplenty, with different skills and upgrades to keep you going for a long time.
So that's the positives, so far so good. But now, alas, some quite big negatives.
Firstly, as I mentioned, you can unlock around 380 characters to play as...kind of. The term "character" here is a bit misleading. There's plenty of characters, yes, more than you could really want, but with some characters they have multiple skins to show off their wardrobe from across the saga. Luke Skywalker for example has 17 different skins all classed as a separate character.
Secondly, the collectibles. In this game, the blue bricks that have featured in the free roam of previous games, have reached a new high in terms of quantity. Over 1,100 to be found, all can be found via a number of repetitive tasks.
Thirdly, crashing seems to be a huge issue on the PS5 version. The game for me has crashed and closed over a dozen times since day one while using the character selection. That plus the lack of a manual save feature makes for some frustrating moments and wasted time.
And finally, and perhaps most disappointingly, replaying levels. The entire game has 45 main story levels, 5 per episode, These levels are really only highlights, just the most memorable parts, you can't go back and enjoy everything from the beginning. Level 1 for example would see you instantly speeding away from the giant fish as you leave the Gungan city, while level 2 puts you straight into the Podracing.
Overall, this is a great game that I would recommend to any Star Wars fan, but it was far from perfect in terms of design.
The game allows us to play through one of the most important and popular cinematic sagas in history, never missing a moment as far as I've noticed, and not forgetting that hilarious Lego video game humour that we've come to love over the years.
With around 380 characters (kind of, I'll get to that) to unlock and play as, from the most beloved characters to the guy you forgot existed and still don't really remember from the films, you have character choices aplenty, with different skills and upgrades to keep you going for a long time.
So that's the positives, so far so good. But now, alas, some quite big negatives.
Firstly, as I mentioned, you can unlock around 380 characters to play as...kind of. The term "character" here is a bit misleading. There's plenty of characters, yes, more than you could really want, but with some characters they have multiple skins to show off their wardrobe from across the saga. Luke Skywalker for example has 17 different skins all classed as a separate character.
Secondly, the collectibles. In this game, the blue bricks that have featured in the free roam of previous games, have reached a new high in terms of quantity. Over 1,100 to be found, all can be found via a number of repetitive tasks.
Thirdly, crashing seems to be a huge issue on the PS5 version. The game for me has crashed and closed over a dozen times since day one while using the character selection. That plus the lack of a manual save feature makes for some frustrating moments and wasted time.
And finally, and perhaps most disappointingly, replaying levels. The entire game has 45 main story levels, 5 per episode, These levels are really only highlights, just the most memorable parts, you can't go back and enjoy everything from the beginning. Level 1 for example would see you instantly speeding away from the giant fish as you leave the Gungan city, while level 2 puts you straight into the Podracing.
Overall, this is a great game that I would recommend to any Star Wars fan, but it was far from perfect in terms of design.
Suswatibasu (1703 KP) rated Moonglow in Books
Nov 9, 2017
Beautifully written
This biography of Michael Chabon's 'grandfather' is a stunning piece of whimsy, the tale of a cranky, old genius that grips and surprises throughout. It is a long, meandering novel masquerading as a memoir, flitting around time and place so that the chapters don't follow consecutively and it's only gradually that we build up a picture of the narrator's family history via the stories told to him by his grandfather.
Despite the fragmented narrative and some aspects considered to be fictional truth, there's real heart and soul here which lifts this novel beyond merely the clever construction, giving it a haunting, poignant undertone.
For me the book is less about the grandfather, but the beautiful, damaged woman with whom he falls in love with. Profoundly affected by her experiences during the Second World War, the narrator's grandmother tells stories to shore up her own sense of self and to hold herself together in the wake of trauma.
While at times it can seem tedious, the author's writing carries it through, moving effortlessly from rambunctious humour to distressing scenes. It is a meditation on families and what constitutes a family when it's not based on blood, histories and accurate memories. A big-hearted and beautifully-written novel.
Despite the fragmented narrative and some aspects considered to be fictional truth, there's real heart and soul here which lifts this novel beyond merely the clever construction, giving it a haunting, poignant undertone.
For me the book is less about the grandfather, but the beautiful, damaged woman with whom he falls in love with. Profoundly affected by her experiences during the Second World War, the narrator's grandmother tells stories to shore up her own sense of self and to hold herself together in the wake of trauma.
While at times it can seem tedious, the author's writing carries it through, moving effortlessly from rambunctious humour to distressing scenes. It is a meditation on families and what constitutes a family when it's not based on blood, histories and accurate memories. A big-hearted and beautifully-written novel.
KatieLouCreate (162 KP) rated Pushing Daisies - Season 1 in TV
Jan 9, 2018
Favourite TV Series
This has to be one of my all time favourite television series. The story follows Ned, a man who can bring the dead back to life. But only for a minute. Any longer and something else has to die in their place. If he touches thelay person/thing again, they will die again. Forever.
This is all well for the private investigator, Emerson Cod who accidently discovered Ned's abilities. The two of them solve crime and split the earnings between them.
However, one day Emerson and Ned are given the task to find out who murdered a woman on a cruise. The women just so happens to be Ned's childhood sweetheart Charlotte Charles. Can he keep her alive for only a minute? Or will he succumb to his selfish want of needed company and love.
The series appears to be light hearted and playful. However, this contrasts with the darkness of what is actually happening. Two men solving murder mysteries.
It is humorous and playful, often using metaphors and quirky language in the characters dialogue. Overall, it is a refreshing watch compared to other television series. I highly reccomend if you like lighthearted romance, murder mysteries with laugh out loud humour.
This is all well for the private investigator, Emerson Cod who accidently discovered Ned's abilities. The two of them solve crime and split the earnings between them.
However, one day Emerson and Ned are given the task to find out who murdered a woman on a cruise. The women just so happens to be Ned's childhood sweetheart Charlotte Charles. Can he keep her alive for only a minute? Or will he succumb to his selfish want of needed company and love.
The series appears to be light hearted and playful. However, this contrasts with the darkness of what is actually happening. Two men solving murder mysteries.
It is humorous and playful, often using metaphors and quirky language in the characters dialogue. Overall, it is a refreshing watch compared to other television series. I highly reccomend if you like lighthearted romance, murder mysteries with laugh out loud humour.
Still gritty (1 more)
More involved plot and exploration of the Misery
Superb follow-up
* I received an advance copy of this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review *
The sequel to the highly praised Blackwing sees Ryhalt Galharrow trying to move on from losing the love of his life and investigating the theft of a magical artefact from a heavily protected vault.
For the first few chapters this book felt like a Captain Vimes Discworld novel (in a good way) with the humour toned down a little. We were exploring the pre-industrial city and investigating a crime that could have dire consequences for the safety of the city.
The book spends significantly more time in the city than in the Misery (the strange, twisting wasteland) than was the case for the first book, which gives it a very different feel. Plotting and intrigue abound as an evil sorcerer's plot to achieve ultimate power starts to unfold.
The book felt slightly less dark than the first, and has quite a different feel to it than Blackwing, but is still absolutely superb. The flowing prose and cracking dialogue make this a true page-turner and one of the best fantasy books I have read in quite some time.
The sequel to the highly praised Blackwing sees Ryhalt Galharrow trying to move on from losing the love of his life and investigating the theft of a magical artefact from a heavily protected vault.
For the first few chapters this book felt like a Captain Vimes Discworld novel (in a good way) with the humour toned down a little. We were exploring the pre-industrial city and investigating a crime that could have dire consequences for the safety of the city.
The book spends significantly more time in the city than in the Misery (the strange, twisting wasteland) than was the case for the first book, which gives it a very different feel. Plotting and intrigue abound as an evil sorcerer's plot to achieve ultimate power starts to unfold.
The book felt slightly less dark than the first, and has quite a different feel to it than Blackwing, but is still absolutely superb. The flowing prose and cracking dialogue make this a true page-turner and one of the best fantasy books I have read in quite some time.
Awix (3310 KP) rated Alita: Battle Angel (2019) in Movies
Feb 8, 2019
Another case of 'visionary film-makers' getting together to produce something visually lavish but also very derivative and hobbled by a goosey-goosey-gander plot. Cyber-surgeon and part-time bounty hunter (you can tell it's a comic book movie) finds a brain in a can and installs it in his dead daughter's robotic body; she turns out to be Alita, who looks like Gollum's better groomed little sister but fights like a CGI'd version of Bruce Lee. Alita tries bounty hunting, also has a go at roller-boogie, falls in love (somewhat unconvincingly). Some good actors are saddled with unrewarding parts.
Looks good (as you would expect) and the action sequences are impressive (ditto) but it's not especially involving and the shapeless story in particular is a problem. It all feels a bit cool and mechanical, without much of a sense of humour - the one really funny moment is unintentional. Not an outright bad movie but spending $200 million on an adaptation of a relatively obscure comic book with someone equally little-known in the title role is a mistake, unless you end up with a film that people are really going to get excited about. Alita is not that movie: it's just another good-looking but vacuous comic-book film.
Looks good (as you would expect) and the action sequences are impressive (ditto) but it's not especially involving and the shapeless story in particular is a problem. It all feels a bit cool and mechanical, without much of a sense of humour - the one really funny moment is unintentional. Not an outright bad movie but spending $200 million on an adaptation of a relatively obscure comic book with someone equally little-known in the title role is a mistake, unless you end up with a film that people are really going to get excited about. Alita is not that movie: it's just another good-looking but vacuous comic-book film.
Sonofdel (6291 KP) rated Fantastic Beasts: Crimes of Grindelwald (2018) in Movies
Mar 29, 2019
What was the point
Contains spoilers, click to show
Well i saw the first one of these and i was pleasantly surprised. It had just the right amount of good story, characters, humour and special effects so i was looking forward to this second instalment. What a disappointment !!!!
The story was so convoluted and drawn out that half way through i almost fell asleep. Its got the wrong title for me as Grindlewald (Johnny Depp) is only in the film for about thirty minutes at the most. Its central character is a man who is trying to find out who he really is and so a rather thin plot then develops involving mythical creatures, characters from the first film and a rather too brief glimpse of the Niffler (who made the first film according to my wife). Now she is a massive fan of the Wizarding World and even she got bored and lost in the ridiculous plot. Her description (not mine as i enjoyed it) 'Its like the middle film of The Lord of The Ring Trilogy, pointless and nothing worth watching' unquote. All in all a big disappointment and to me its been stretched into five films because of the financial possibilities. Not worth buying for me.
The story was so convoluted and drawn out that half way through i almost fell asleep. Its got the wrong title for me as Grindlewald (Johnny Depp) is only in the film for about thirty minutes at the most. Its central character is a man who is trying to find out who he really is and so a rather thin plot then develops involving mythical creatures, characters from the first film and a rather too brief glimpse of the Niffler (who made the first film according to my wife). Now she is a massive fan of the Wizarding World and even she got bored and lost in the ridiculous plot. Her description (not mine as i enjoyed it) 'Its like the middle film of The Lord of The Ring Trilogy, pointless and nothing worth watching' unquote. All in all a big disappointment and to me its been stretched into five films because of the financial possibilities. Not worth buying for me.