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Purple Phoenix Games (2266 KP) rated Loopin' Chewie in Tabletop Games
Aug 21, 2019 (Updated Mar 31, 2021)
Cue the opening crawl! Chewbacca is attempting to take out the entire army of Storm Troopers on his own! Will he succeed, or can you fend him off in this unpredictable family game for 2-3 Storm Troopers?
Loopin’ Chewie is a re-theming of an older game titled Loopin’ Louie. I never played Loopin’ Louie, and I am a fan of Star Wars (not a super duper fan, but I like the series), so when I saw this at Wal-Mart (of all places) I picked it up. For $13. I knew my son would love it, so that’s why I bought it. Yeah, that’s why.
In Loopin’ Chewie the players are supposed to be protecting the Death Star from Chewbacca flying in the Millennium Falcon. Chewie flies around the play area and dives at the players’ Storm Trooper discs trying to cut them down. The players are readied at their own personal station to swat Chewie away and rein terror on their opponents using colorful levers.
To setup the game, assemble the components as instructed in the rule sheet to build a teetering tower of unpredictable Chewbacca Falcon dives. Give each player three Storm Trooper discs to be loaded in their play area, turn on the central motor and the game is off!
Players will be tapping their lever when Chewie dives close to their area in attempts to shoo him away to opponents. Players are eliminated from the round when all three of their Storm Trooper discs have been flattened by Chewbacca. Play continues as players swat Chewie this way and that until one player remains with discs in their area. This player is the victor and will need to accept challenges from their opponents to play just one more round. Again and again.
Components. For a $13 family game from Hasbro found at Wal-Mart, the components here are actually quite stellar. The Chewbacca riding the Millennium Falcon is great, the overall design of the player areas and Storm Trooper discs is wonderful, and I have not had one problem with the motorized components presented. A+ from me on components here.
This is obviously not a gamer’s game, but it certainly is fun when you are playing with other people, especially with children. The sheer joy on their faces is worth everything as Chewie comes attacking and they are able to fend him off and send him your way as you (maybe purposefully) are too slow on the swat and your Storm Troopers are defeated. It is quick, super light, and can effectively work as a filler game, or just something to pull out when you need to entertain the littles for a few minutes. It won’t last throughout an entire nap period, but it will certainly do well to bond with your children (or drinking buddies I guess) over a silly game of Chewbacca pouncing on your Storm Troopers.
If you find this one out in the wild, pick it up. Your kids will thank you.
Loopin’ Chewie is a re-theming of an older game titled Loopin’ Louie. I never played Loopin’ Louie, and I am a fan of Star Wars (not a super duper fan, but I like the series), so when I saw this at Wal-Mart (of all places) I picked it up. For $13. I knew my son would love it, so that’s why I bought it. Yeah, that’s why.
In Loopin’ Chewie the players are supposed to be protecting the Death Star from Chewbacca flying in the Millennium Falcon. Chewie flies around the play area and dives at the players’ Storm Trooper discs trying to cut them down. The players are readied at their own personal station to swat Chewie away and rein terror on their opponents using colorful levers.
To setup the game, assemble the components as instructed in the rule sheet to build a teetering tower of unpredictable Chewbacca Falcon dives. Give each player three Storm Trooper discs to be loaded in their play area, turn on the central motor and the game is off!
Players will be tapping their lever when Chewie dives close to their area in attempts to shoo him away to opponents. Players are eliminated from the round when all three of their Storm Trooper discs have been flattened by Chewbacca. Play continues as players swat Chewie this way and that until one player remains with discs in their area. This player is the victor and will need to accept challenges from their opponents to play just one more round. Again and again.
Components. For a $13 family game from Hasbro found at Wal-Mart, the components here are actually quite stellar. The Chewbacca riding the Millennium Falcon is great, the overall design of the player areas and Storm Trooper discs is wonderful, and I have not had one problem with the motorized components presented. A+ from me on components here.
This is obviously not a gamer’s game, but it certainly is fun when you are playing with other people, especially with children. The sheer joy on their faces is worth everything as Chewie comes attacking and they are able to fend him off and send him your way as you (maybe purposefully) are too slow on the swat and your Storm Troopers are defeated. It is quick, super light, and can effectively work as a filler game, or just something to pull out when you need to entertain the littles for a few minutes. It won’t last throughout an entire nap period, but it will certainly do well to bond with your children (or drinking buddies I guess) over a silly game of Chewbacca pouncing on your Storm Troopers.
If you find this one out in the wild, pick it up. Your kids will thank you.
Kim Pook (101 KP) rated Truth or Dare (2018) in Movies
Jun 17, 2020 (Updated Jun 18, 2020)
Contains spoilers, click to show
The movie starts with a young woman buying cigarettes. She appears distressed and ends up setting light to a woman in the store and the question we're all wondering is why? Keep watching though and soon enough you find out.
Moving on to the main part of the movie we see a group of friends enjoying their spring break at Mexico where Olivia meets a guy called Carter who invites her and her friends to a hideout to play a game of truth or dare. It starts off as just fun and games such as guys giving lapdances, streaking and girls kissing, until its carter's turn to do a truth. That's when he tells the group that he was dared to bring them to the hideout and that they have to play or they did, he then leaves leaving Olivia wondering what has just happened. I expected them to be trapped there but next thing we know they're back at school and everything is seemingly back to normal. However it isn't long until the cursed game starts as Olivia starts seing the words truth or dare everywhere and eventually her and her friends start seing it too along with these very creepy distorted faces (reminds me of momo if anyone can remember that) asking truth or dare over and over like something out of nightmares. They soon discover that if you refuse to tell the truth or don't do the dare you will die. Along with having to play the game the friends have to try and figure out why the game is cursed and how to stop it.
After reading other reviews for this movie I half expected to hate it, but for me it was completely different. It started off slow but once it started properly I really enjoyed it, it isn't like any movie I'd seen before. I found myself eagerly awaiting someone's turn to arrive as I loved hearing what everyone would have to do. I've seen people compare it to the ring or final destination but I don't see it myself. The ending was a big shock and didn't expect it at all, it definitely had you guessing all the way through to the end.
Moving on to the main part of the movie we see a group of friends enjoying their spring break at Mexico where Olivia meets a guy called Carter who invites her and her friends to a hideout to play a game of truth or dare. It starts off as just fun and games such as guys giving lapdances, streaking and girls kissing, until its carter's turn to do a truth. That's when he tells the group that he was dared to bring them to the hideout and that they have to play or they did, he then leaves leaving Olivia wondering what has just happened. I expected them to be trapped there but next thing we know they're back at school and everything is seemingly back to normal. However it isn't long until the cursed game starts as Olivia starts seing the words truth or dare everywhere and eventually her and her friends start seing it too along with these very creepy distorted faces (reminds me of momo if anyone can remember that) asking truth or dare over and over like something out of nightmares. They soon discover that if you refuse to tell the truth or don't do the dare you will die. Along with having to play the game the friends have to try and figure out why the game is cursed and how to stop it.
After reading other reviews for this movie I half expected to hate it, but for me it was completely different. It started off slow but once it started properly I really enjoyed it, it isn't like any movie I'd seen before. I found myself eagerly awaiting someone's turn to arrive as I loved hearing what everyone would have to do. I've seen people compare it to the ring or final destination but I don't see it myself. The ending was a big shock and didn't expect it at all, it definitely had you guessing all the way through to the end.
Merissa (12894 KP) rated Like a Lily Among the Thorns in Books
Jun 20, 2022
LIKE A LILY AMONG THE THORNS is a standalone book (at the moment) with an open ending that mixes fantasy with fact, giving information about climate change with 'normal' events.
This story is told mainly from two perspectives - Gabrielle and a narrator. You also get odd chapters either told from other perspectives, or by the narrator giving you further information on one of the other characters.
In a Cinderella-esque way, Gabrielle's life turns around, due to her faith in the cosmos. She practices mindfulness and is determined not to let life get her down. This is partly due to her childhood. Unfortunately, at times, this made her seem un-grounded and living in a fantasy land, refusing to face reality. After some adventures, she ends up at her B&B in Vermont, with a host of characters to support her. In fact, apart from being the owner, I'm not entirely sure what her role was.
This is a wordy book, with some unfortunate info-dumps throughout. There are also hints and questions asked of the reader that goes nowhere. The pacing is okay but it could definitely be tightened up in places. And there is no need to head-hop into the mind of a minor character who is only there for a page or two. Although the blurb states they are a 'group of saviors', just how they are supposed to do this apart from changing the B&B is unclear, especially given that they are all ignoring the problem towards the end.
On the whole, this was an enjoyable book about a crisis I firmly believe in. I guess my hopes were higher than were realistic. This is my first read by this author. If you have read her work before and liked it, I think you will like this story. As for me, I found it tricky to get along with.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
This story is told mainly from two perspectives - Gabrielle and a narrator. You also get odd chapters either told from other perspectives, or by the narrator giving you further information on one of the other characters.
In a Cinderella-esque way, Gabrielle's life turns around, due to her faith in the cosmos. She practices mindfulness and is determined not to let life get her down. This is partly due to her childhood. Unfortunately, at times, this made her seem un-grounded and living in a fantasy land, refusing to face reality. After some adventures, she ends up at her B&B in Vermont, with a host of characters to support her. In fact, apart from being the owner, I'm not entirely sure what her role was.
This is a wordy book, with some unfortunate info-dumps throughout. There are also hints and questions asked of the reader that goes nowhere. The pacing is okay but it could definitely be tightened up in places. And there is no need to head-hop into the mind of a minor character who is only there for a page or two. Although the blurb states they are a 'group of saviors', just how they are supposed to do this apart from changing the B&B is unclear, especially given that they are all ignoring the problem towards the end.
On the whole, this was an enjoyable book about a crisis I firmly believe in. I guess my hopes were higher than were realistic. This is my first read by this author. If you have read her work before and liked it, I think you will like this story. As for me, I found it tricky to get along with.
** same worded review will appear elsewhere **
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and the comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Ivana A. | Diary of Difference (1171 KP) rated The Dead Sagas, Volume I, Part I in Books
Aug 21, 2018
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The Dead Sagas: Volume I, Part I by Lee Conley is a dark fantasy novel, a horror saga unlike any other. This is not a book for the weak. This is the book for the bravest, the ones who dare to read it, and the ones who can handle to continue living with what they now know.
<b><i>Book description:</i></b>
In a land called Arnar, where brave warriors fight for glory, a great evil comes alive.
The secrets of which the scholars were writing about in the past years, the scary stories that were being told in families throughout the generations are becoming true.
Creatures we thought were dead are now walking through the streets, spreading their disease, killing innocent people, and are about to take over Arnar.
The brave warriors are prepared to die defending their lands, but how can you fight creatures that barely feel pain? Are the warriors strong enough?
<img src="https://gipostcards.files.wordpress.com/2018/07/result_1529522968460.jpg?w=510"/>;
<b><i>My Thoughts:</i></b>
A story that will leave you breathless until the very end, a story that will push you into anxiety and make you bite your nails. A story that speaks about evil, and good, love, bravery and survival, a book that will sit on your shelf after reading it, and you’ll give it a look once in a while, and say: Ahh.. that was good!
In The Dead Sagas we have the chance to follow the stories of many characters. We will meet scholars and apprentices, we meet warriors and lords, we meet people from the street, doing everything they can to survive, we meet survivors that have seen things and we will meet sailors that are dying.
From chapter to chapter, the story goes from one character to another, and we slowly see the progression of the evil creatures, the spreading pace by pace. While it starts with sailors getting sick and dying afterwards on a ship, it slowly continues to become more and more intense, as we see people literally transforming into dead walkers right after they die, right in front of our eyes.
You will meet Bjorn, who escaped a tribe that cooks and eats people, you will meet Arnulf, who sees unimaginable things will being a lord of the watch. You will see him go through the greatest pain in life, you will see him afraid and brave, you will see him fighting, even though he wants to go and cry in the corner and die.
You will meet a girl that sells her body, so she can buy food for her and her little brother. You will meet a woman warrior, and learn about her amazing and brave story, you will watch how people see their loved ones die right in front of their eyes, and sometimes, they even have to be the ones to kill them in order to survive.
Even though we learn so much about the characters and their stories, it was hard for me to really connect with any of them, as the chapters moved fast from one character to another. This is probably the reason to why I also found the beginning quite slow. It took me around 90 pages, to start realising what is happening.
There will be a lot of violence in this book, a lot of swearing, and scenes that might upset or offend you. This book is not for the weak ones, that is for sure. And while for some of you this might put you off this book, I do have to say that if the book didn’t have a strong language and violent scenes like it does, it wouldn’t have been the same.
The biggest ''flaw'' I had was the ending. I won’t say anything spoiler-ish , as I don’t want to ruin the book for you, but let’s just say that I didn’t expect it to end the way it did.
Even though this is a story about the dead people walking around and killing everything in front of them, this is actually a book about the survivors, the ones that managed to retell this story - the ones that lost anything and everything to be where they are now. This is for the lives of the brave souls, the mighty warriors, that were noble and tried to protect their lands.
A massive thanks to the author, Lee Conley, who managed to find me in the deep waters of Twitter, and who agreed to send me a paperback copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
The Dead Sagas: Volume I, Part I by Lee Conley is a dark fantasy novel, a horror saga unlike any other. This is not a book for the weak. This is the book for the bravest, the ones who dare to read it, and the ones who can handle to continue living with what they now know.
<b><i>Book description:</i></b>
In a land called Arnar, where brave warriors fight for glory, a great evil comes alive.
The secrets of which the scholars were writing about in the past years, the scary stories that were being told in families throughout the generations are becoming true.
Creatures we thought were dead are now walking through the streets, spreading their disease, killing innocent people, and are about to take over Arnar.
The brave warriors are prepared to die defending their lands, but how can you fight creatures that barely feel pain? Are the warriors strong enough?
<img src="https://gipostcards.files.wordpress.com/2018/07/result_1529522968460.jpg?w=510"/>;
<b><i>My Thoughts:</i></b>
A story that will leave you breathless until the very end, a story that will push you into anxiety and make you bite your nails. A story that speaks about evil, and good, love, bravery and survival, a book that will sit on your shelf after reading it, and you’ll give it a look once in a while, and say: Ahh.. that was good!
In The Dead Sagas we have the chance to follow the stories of many characters. We will meet scholars and apprentices, we meet warriors and lords, we meet people from the street, doing everything they can to survive, we meet survivors that have seen things and we will meet sailors that are dying.
From chapter to chapter, the story goes from one character to another, and we slowly see the progression of the evil creatures, the spreading pace by pace. While it starts with sailors getting sick and dying afterwards on a ship, it slowly continues to become more and more intense, as we see people literally transforming into dead walkers right after they die, right in front of our eyes.
You will meet Bjorn, who escaped a tribe that cooks and eats people, you will meet Arnulf, who sees unimaginable things will being a lord of the watch. You will see him go through the greatest pain in life, you will see him afraid and brave, you will see him fighting, even though he wants to go and cry in the corner and die.
You will meet a girl that sells her body, so she can buy food for her and her little brother. You will meet a woman warrior, and learn about her amazing and brave story, you will watch how people see their loved ones die right in front of their eyes, and sometimes, they even have to be the ones to kill them in order to survive.
Even though we learn so much about the characters and their stories, it was hard for me to really connect with any of them, as the chapters moved fast from one character to another. This is probably the reason to why I also found the beginning quite slow. It took me around 90 pages, to start realising what is happening.
There will be a lot of violence in this book, a lot of swearing, and scenes that might upset or offend you. This book is not for the weak ones, that is for sure. And while for some of you this might put you off this book, I do have to say that if the book didn’t have a strong language and violent scenes like it does, it wouldn’t have been the same.
The biggest ''flaw'' I had was the ending. I won’t say anything spoiler-ish , as I don’t want to ruin the book for you, but let’s just say that I didn’t expect it to end the way it did.
Even though this is a story about the dead people walking around and killing everything in front of them, this is actually a book about the survivors, the ones that managed to retell this story - the ones that lost anything and everything to be where they are now. This is for the lives of the brave souls, the mighty warriors, that were noble and tried to protect their lands.
A massive thanks to the author, Lee Conley, who managed to find me in the deep waters of Twitter, and who agreed to send me a paperback copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
Simply Being - Guided Meditation for Relaxation and Presence
Health & Fitness and Lifestyle
App
Meditate easily with this elegantly simple App, the only meditation app you may ever need. Enjoy the...
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated The S-Word in Books
Jun 7, 2018
(This review can be found on my blog <a href="http://themisadventuresofatwentysomething.blogspot.com/">The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Something Year Old Girl</a>).
I was super excited to read this book! I had wanted it since I first heard about it. While it wasn't as good as I had hoped, it was still a good read.
The book blurb above does a good job in describing what this book is going to be about, so I won't put it into my own words or else it'll be a bit repetitive.
I don't really know if I like the title or not. It does sum up the book pretty well because it's the s-word that starts off a whole chain of events.
I do like the cover! I enjoyed the simplicity of it, really, so it was a great choice by the author. What I liked most was how some words were etched into the cover.
The world building was a bit wishy-washy. Personally, I really don't think someone would be as forgiving as Angie if their best friend (or any girl for that matter) slept with their boyfriend, especially one of four years. Secondly, I really don't think a high school student would conduct an investigation into who made their friend commit suicide. However, there is some creditably to this world. The different people in the high school really make it feel like it's taking place there. The feelings in the book also come across as being genuine.
The pacing was good. There were a few parts throughout the book where the pacing does get a bit shaky, but it quickly goes back to being a decent pace. I wouldn't say it's a book devouring pace, but it's still good enough where you do want to read it quickly.
I enjoyed the plot. It definitely picks up on a very real problem happening around schools (and well, a lot of places) - bullying and its consequences. I loved the message it was conveying. I did predict something about Lizzie which I can't say because of a spoiler. I also predicted a plot twist as well which I won't elaborate on due to spoilers. There was one plot twist that I definitely didn't see coming!!
The characters were alright. Sometimes the character of Angie felt a bit one dimensional and unrealistic. As I've said before, I can't imagine anyone conducting an investigation about who was calling someone a slut and all that after the fact. Sometimes, there was something about her that made her seem like she wasn't a teenager even though she was meant to be. She didn't really act like one through a lot of the book. I did enjoy that the author didn't make her out to be a stuck-up cheerleader though because not all cheerleaders are snobby. I liked how she would take chances on people. I felt like I didn't get to know too much about Drake to pass that much judgement on him. He comes across as a bit of a sleaze for cheating on Angie. I wish he was featured a bit more. I loved the character of Jesse. I enjoyed his flamboyant nature and how he didn't care what anyone really thought about him. I would even dare to say that I found him to be the strongest and most believable character. Lizzie comes across as a goody two-shoes and your typical teen sweetheart. I don't really have a a clear feeling about Lizzie because, although we get to read some of her diary entries and she's talked about, there's nothing strong enough to give me a clear picture of her personality.
The dialogue was believable for the most part. What I didn't find believable is some of the times Angie would question people. For example, in one scene in the book, Angie is questioning a character named Shelby. She circles around her interrogating her, and while Shelby is an actress, I just couldn't ever imagine that scene and that dialogue taking place. Also, there is a bit of swearing in this book, and while some of it does seem like everyday teen speak, some of it seems forced like the author was just throwing it in for good measure. Other then that, the dialogue came across as teens speaking which is what this book is.
Overall, The S-Word by Chelsea Pitcher is a good read. However, the main character and some of the world building does let it down, but the plot and pacing do help to make this a good read.
I'd recommend this book to those aged 17+ who have been affected by bullying.
I'd give The S-Word by Chelsea Pitcher a 3.5 out of 5.
I was super excited to read this book! I had wanted it since I first heard about it. While it wasn't as good as I had hoped, it was still a good read.
The book blurb above does a good job in describing what this book is going to be about, so I won't put it into my own words or else it'll be a bit repetitive.
I don't really know if I like the title or not. It does sum up the book pretty well because it's the s-word that starts off a whole chain of events.
I do like the cover! I enjoyed the simplicity of it, really, so it was a great choice by the author. What I liked most was how some words were etched into the cover.
The world building was a bit wishy-washy. Personally, I really don't think someone would be as forgiving as Angie if their best friend (or any girl for that matter) slept with their boyfriend, especially one of four years. Secondly, I really don't think a high school student would conduct an investigation into who made their friend commit suicide. However, there is some creditably to this world. The different people in the high school really make it feel like it's taking place there. The feelings in the book also come across as being genuine.
The pacing was good. There were a few parts throughout the book where the pacing does get a bit shaky, but it quickly goes back to being a decent pace. I wouldn't say it's a book devouring pace, but it's still good enough where you do want to read it quickly.
I enjoyed the plot. It definitely picks up on a very real problem happening around schools (and well, a lot of places) - bullying and its consequences. I loved the message it was conveying. I did predict something about Lizzie which I can't say because of a spoiler. I also predicted a plot twist as well which I won't elaborate on due to spoilers. There was one plot twist that I definitely didn't see coming!!
The characters were alright. Sometimes the character of Angie felt a bit one dimensional and unrealistic. As I've said before, I can't imagine anyone conducting an investigation about who was calling someone a slut and all that after the fact. Sometimes, there was something about her that made her seem like she wasn't a teenager even though she was meant to be. She didn't really act like one through a lot of the book. I did enjoy that the author didn't make her out to be a stuck-up cheerleader though because not all cheerleaders are snobby. I liked how she would take chances on people. I felt like I didn't get to know too much about Drake to pass that much judgement on him. He comes across as a bit of a sleaze for cheating on Angie. I wish he was featured a bit more. I loved the character of Jesse. I enjoyed his flamboyant nature and how he didn't care what anyone really thought about him. I would even dare to say that I found him to be the strongest and most believable character. Lizzie comes across as a goody two-shoes and your typical teen sweetheart. I don't really have a a clear feeling about Lizzie because, although we get to read some of her diary entries and she's talked about, there's nothing strong enough to give me a clear picture of her personality.
The dialogue was believable for the most part. What I didn't find believable is some of the times Angie would question people. For example, in one scene in the book, Angie is questioning a character named Shelby. She circles around her interrogating her, and while Shelby is an actress, I just couldn't ever imagine that scene and that dialogue taking place. Also, there is a bit of swearing in this book, and while some of it does seem like everyday teen speak, some of it seems forced like the author was just throwing it in for good measure. Other then that, the dialogue came across as teens speaking which is what this book is.
Overall, The S-Word by Chelsea Pitcher is a good read. However, the main character and some of the world building does let it down, but the plot and pacing do help to make this a good read.
I'd recommend this book to those aged 17+ who have been affected by bullying.
I'd give The S-Word by Chelsea Pitcher a 3.5 out of 5.
Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2 (2018) in Movies
Sep 25, 2019
This is an entertaining film. I definitely came out of it with a smile on my face. At the same time though, as an adult, it surprisingly gave me several pauses for thought. It's about change and friendship, jealousy and insecurity... things as a grown-up that you perhaps push to the back of your mind so that you can carry on. I was in danger of thinking a bit too deep at one point, but luckily something funny happened to distract me (much like real life).
But enough of that deep sigh moment.
Ralph is still the bumbling bad guy and inadvertently causes the mayhem that sets off the main storyline in the film. That coupled with the new whiffy... wifey...? in the arcade means that they get to meet a whole new world on the internet.
It's a fun way to think about going online, everyone milling around like it's a shopping centre. And I'm sure that we've all been in Ralph's position too, shopping on the internet and forgotten to be prepared with our credit card to checkout. Of course I don't think we've ever thought to do what he does to fix the problem.
Vanellope makes a few new friends in the form of Shank and her crew from GTA style game, Slaughter Race. Just like the first movie all the different styles went well together. But my favourite bit about their first outing in Slaughter Race were the player avatars. Those slightly stunted turns and limb movements were perfect and took me back to my days of game play. I've also got to give the shark an honourable mention, his next staring role should be "The Meg: The Musical".
I can't do a review for this and not mention the Princesses. I'm not sure they're as good as I'd hoped they'd be. Pocahontas gets the biggest praise for her constantly fluttering hair but they were all just kind of... there, and there wasn't much else. They do at least teach V that she can channel her inner Princess by staring into some water, but gazing at her reflection doesn't quite have the desired effect.
When the story goes back to Ralph it's a little sad to see that he can't let it go and see how Vanellope has found a new home. They do at least give him some redemption and he realises that she's a girl worth fighting for and goes about fixing all of the drama that he's caused.
As well as the fun there's some truths about the internet in there too. First rule of the internet, don't read the comments, and the troll at the Q&A. Good luck explaining those things to your kids... "When people grow up, some of them become dickhead and upset other people because they have nothing better to do with their spare time."
Watching this I did at least find an answer to the age old question of why I occasionally lose my internet connection! Watching all those poor unfortunate souls losing theirs... well it'll probably make me less stressed to imagine that happening when the whiffy box says no next time.
Honestly, this waffle will end soon...
Ralph Breaks The Internet is like the kids version of Ready Player One. I spent so much of the movie looking around for all the little hidden tidbits. What websites can you spot? Which characters? Dial-up Express amused me, and it's certainly one for the adults to laugh at. I also took a pause at Stan Lee, I nearly had my own Princess moment in a puddle of tears.
Lastly we obviously have to mention the credit scenes. Two of them. I got super annoyed when the credits started to roll, as you may well do, but scene one really turned that around. You have to stay right until the end for the second one, it will reeeeeally annoy you, so enjoy that!
What you should do
You should watch it. The kids will love it because of all the characters and daft antics, and you'll love it because of those two things and all the hidden references.
Movie thing you wish you could take home
So many choices. I wouldn't mind having my own amusement arcade... oooooooh or Princess hair... ooooooooooh or animals that sew clothes... ooooooooh or... I could be here a while, why don't you click on a pop up ad and go heart some videos instead of waiting around.
[I'd like to apologise for more waffle than usual, but when I accidentally put one Disney song title in a sentence I couldn't pass up the chance to try for more!]
But enough of that deep sigh moment.
Ralph is still the bumbling bad guy and inadvertently causes the mayhem that sets off the main storyline in the film. That coupled with the new whiffy... wifey...? in the arcade means that they get to meet a whole new world on the internet.
It's a fun way to think about going online, everyone milling around like it's a shopping centre. And I'm sure that we've all been in Ralph's position too, shopping on the internet and forgotten to be prepared with our credit card to checkout. Of course I don't think we've ever thought to do what he does to fix the problem.
Vanellope makes a few new friends in the form of Shank and her crew from GTA style game, Slaughter Race. Just like the first movie all the different styles went well together. But my favourite bit about their first outing in Slaughter Race were the player avatars. Those slightly stunted turns and limb movements were perfect and took me back to my days of game play. I've also got to give the shark an honourable mention, his next staring role should be "The Meg: The Musical".
I can't do a review for this and not mention the Princesses. I'm not sure they're as good as I'd hoped they'd be. Pocahontas gets the biggest praise for her constantly fluttering hair but they were all just kind of... there, and there wasn't much else. They do at least teach V that she can channel her inner Princess by staring into some water, but gazing at her reflection doesn't quite have the desired effect.
When the story goes back to Ralph it's a little sad to see that he can't let it go and see how Vanellope has found a new home. They do at least give him some redemption and he realises that she's a girl worth fighting for and goes about fixing all of the drama that he's caused.
As well as the fun there's some truths about the internet in there too. First rule of the internet, don't read the comments, and the troll at the Q&A. Good luck explaining those things to your kids... "When people grow up, some of them become dickhead and upset other people because they have nothing better to do with their spare time."
Watching this I did at least find an answer to the age old question of why I occasionally lose my internet connection! Watching all those poor unfortunate souls losing theirs... well it'll probably make me less stressed to imagine that happening when the whiffy box says no next time.
Honestly, this waffle will end soon...
Ralph Breaks The Internet is like the kids version of Ready Player One. I spent so much of the movie looking around for all the little hidden tidbits. What websites can you spot? Which characters? Dial-up Express amused me, and it's certainly one for the adults to laugh at. I also took a pause at Stan Lee, I nearly had my own Princess moment in a puddle of tears.
Lastly we obviously have to mention the credit scenes. Two of them. I got super annoyed when the credits started to roll, as you may well do, but scene one really turned that around. You have to stay right until the end for the second one, it will reeeeeally annoy you, so enjoy that!
What you should do
You should watch it. The kids will love it because of all the characters and daft antics, and you'll love it because of those two things and all the hidden references.
Movie thing you wish you could take home
So many choices. I wouldn't mind having my own amusement arcade... oooooooh or Princess hair... ooooooooooh or animals that sew clothes... ooooooooh or... I could be here a while, why don't you click on a pop up ad and go heart some videos instead of waiting around.
[I'd like to apologise for more waffle than usual, but when I accidentally put one Disney song title in a sentence I couldn't pass up the chance to try for more!]
BookblogbyCari (345 KP) rated This Idea Must Die in Books
Aug 14, 2018
Book Review by Cari Mayhew.
There’s nothing like reading a popular science book to make you feel more worldly wise! The Idea Must Die is a compilation of over 150 separate articles, by different contributors, arguing that certain scientific concepts are blocking progress and should be put to rest.
Its scope is very broad - at first I felt the book was concentrating on physics, but it later went on to include psychology, linguistics, genetics, criminology, economics and computer science. The title of each article comes from the concept that it is argued should be put to rest.
There were plenty of articles I found interesting and learnt from, including: - “Long-term memory is immutable”, "One genome per individual", “Economic growth”, "Intelligence as property", "Continuity of time", Knowing is half the battle" and "Information overload", “Essentialism”, "Malthuanism" (which is the idea that population will outstrip food supply).
For the majority of the articles I agreed that the theory should be put to rest, and plenty that I thought it was good to see included. These included topics such as: race, nurture vs nature, reductionism. Cancer research theories were also addressed.
There were several topics I was surprised to see argued against, such as evidence-based medicine, scientific method, evolution, carbon footprint, string theory, culture, science being self-correcting.
It was refreshing to see "We are stone age thinkers" but I was disappointed to see the title "Languages condition worldviews". It was also a shame to see AI there, along with robot companions. Ideas in some chapters were disconcerting, claiming there's no self, no cognitive agency, and no free will.
There was a potentially useful article entitled "Scientific knowledge structured as literature" suggesting how publication could move to a new updated method.
With each article ranging in length from a mere 1 to 7 pages, it is an incredibly easy book to dip in and out of, or to fit around a busy week. At times there is a flow between one chapter and the next, but not always. Several of the articles proffer conflicting viewpoints, prompting the reader to reflect and wonder.
Some articles are more-well written than others, and similarly some arguments are more strongly put forward. Usually only one argument is made per article, but at times there were several. I believe some of the articles were chosen for their brevity, which is a shame because some of the articles could use a stronger argument. Some articles are hard to get your head around. The language is not always accessible and often presumes reader already has some knowledge of the subject. Although intriguing to begin with, with so many articles it began to feel dry and laborious at about 60% through. Some articles I deliberately skipped, others I attempted but found impenetrable.
It’s a refreshing read if you haven’t picked a science book in some time and it’s definitely a thought-provoking read if you feel confident that you can get to grips with the material.
For more of my reviews, check out www.bookblogbycari.com
There’s nothing like reading a popular science book to make you feel more worldly wise! The Idea Must Die is a compilation of over 150 separate articles, by different contributors, arguing that certain scientific concepts are blocking progress and should be put to rest.
Its scope is very broad - at first I felt the book was concentrating on physics, but it later went on to include psychology, linguistics, genetics, criminology, economics and computer science. The title of each article comes from the concept that it is argued should be put to rest.
There were plenty of articles I found interesting and learnt from, including: - “Long-term memory is immutable”, "One genome per individual", “Economic growth”, "Intelligence as property", "Continuity of time", Knowing is half the battle" and "Information overload", “Essentialism”, "Malthuanism" (which is the idea that population will outstrip food supply).
For the majority of the articles I agreed that the theory should be put to rest, and plenty that I thought it was good to see included. These included topics such as: race, nurture vs nature, reductionism. Cancer research theories were also addressed.
There were several topics I was surprised to see argued against, such as evidence-based medicine, scientific method, evolution, carbon footprint, string theory, culture, science being self-correcting.
It was refreshing to see "We are stone age thinkers" but I was disappointed to see the title "Languages condition worldviews". It was also a shame to see AI there, along with robot companions. Ideas in some chapters were disconcerting, claiming there's no self, no cognitive agency, and no free will.
There was a potentially useful article entitled "Scientific knowledge structured as literature" suggesting how publication could move to a new updated method.
With each article ranging in length from a mere 1 to 7 pages, it is an incredibly easy book to dip in and out of, or to fit around a busy week. At times there is a flow between one chapter and the next, but not always. Several of the articles proffer conflicting viewpoints, prompting the reader to reflect and wonder.
Some articles are more-well written than others, and similarly some arguments are more strongly put forward. Usually only one argument is made per article, but at times there were several. I believe some of the articles were chosen for their brevity, which is a shame because some of the articles could use a stronger argument. Some articles are hard to get your head around. The language is not always accessible and often presumes reader already has some knowledge of the subject. Although intriguing to begin with, with so many articles it began to feel dry and laborious at about 60% through. Some articles I deliberately skipped, others I attempted but found impenetrable.
It’s a refreshing read if you haven’t picked a science book in some time and it’s definitely a thought-provoking read if you feel confident that you can get to grips with the material.
For more of my reviews, check out www.bookblogbycari.com
Zach Smith (62 KP) rated Bumblebee (2018) in Movies
Mar 23, 2019
Finally another view on the Transformers Universe that isnt Michael Bay.
Contains spoilers, click to show
I will give you a big heads up, I was not crazy about the idea of this movie due to Hollywood casting another female lead that is horrible unrealistic that this female that is a 10 in looks department. Michael Bay at least cast a realistic man named Shia that lets face it is no Brad Pitt. It was something normal people can relate to. Now being a gay male I found that the costar a male looked realistic and was relatable in having the crush on the 'hot' girl. No saying that they managed to sexualize it abit by showing male eye candy in boxers and the costar ripping his shirt off so I gave thaat a big thumbs up for me being the pig I am. Now moving on from the human bullshit part. The opening sequence takes place on the cybertron we all grew up to love and know. No crazy shit like the Cube is mentioned, you get an epic war scene with the majority of the original decepticons that actually look like decepticons, including soundwave and the purple guy that has one eye. I dont recall seeing megatron however, but its been awhile since I last saw it.
Anywho the movie goes on for character development for the unreal female lead which of course didnt really interest me. However there is a fierce battle between bumblebee and another decepticon and the idea of Bumblebee having a damaged voice modulator is carried over from the Michael Bay Transformers universe. Skipping forward to the introduction of the hero lead human finding bumblebee she is working on the vw beetle and she lays under the car to work on it and it looks just like when look at an transformer toy, you can see bumblebees head in the undercarriage, again freaking awesome!. So this movie made money which I am glad because I gave up on the Michael Bay transformer universe after he started slaughtering the autobots just like the Transformers Cartoon movie. So it is said we will see more from this group of writers and directors as they sort of reboot the universe and start making money again. Go see it, buy it. Snore factor of 2/10 for the stupid human parts.
Anywho the movie goes on for character development for the unreal female lead which of course didnt really interest me. However there is a fierce battle between bumblebee and another decepticon and the idea of Bumblebee having a damaged voice modulator is carried over from the Michael Bay Transformers universe. Skipping forward to the introduction of the hero lead human finding bumblebee she is working on the vw beetle and she lays under the car to work on it and it looks just like when look at an transformer toy, you can see bumblebees head in the undercarriage, again freaking awesome!. So this movie made money which I am glad because I gave up on the Michael Bay transformer universe after he started slaughtering the autobots just like the Transformers Cartoon movie. So it is said we will see more from this group of writers and directors as they sort of reboot the universe and start making money again. Go see it, buy it. Snore factor of 2/10 for the stupid human parts.
Neon's Nerd Nexus (360 KP) rated Jojo Rabbit (2019) in Movies
Jan 6, 2020 (Updated Jan 6, 2020)
F*ck Off Hittler!
Jo Jo Rabbit while by no means a bad movie its just one that I think would of worked better as a short instead. Think Son Of Rambow meets Wes Anderson and Jo Jo sits somewhere in between, its not bad but its also not greatness either. Containing way more serious drama and a much darker tone than the trailer has you believe what I found most interesting of all were the bleakest parts of the story which hit home way more than the comedy side. I just felt the humour took away from the films more serious messages of manipulation and the mind poluting of the naive. A good job is done of showing how fragile, young and inocent minds are easily lead astray/influenced by propaganda, stories, lies, the spread of hatred and how the excitement of holding a weapon, fighting in a war or wearing a uniform almost takes away from the overall bigger picture for them as children. Most of these kids see probably grew up without a dad as a role model so seeing hittler praised by all, hearing cool fables about him and seeing him on tv/posters to them at that age is almost like how kids are today with superheros, then to think thats actually what probably happened sends chills up your spine in horror. Sadly these scenes are always dampened with comedy killing the impact of them for me and while I do get what type of film its going for I think id rather of just seen a movie on the darker stuff. Acting is great especially by the boy playing Jo Jo however accents do slip constantly all round again breaking the illusion. Couple this with a middle act that I really struggled with losing intrest frequently and looking at my watch. While it does have the heart and certainly the depth in places I cant help but feel really let down by this movie and sadly I left wanting more. Far too serious for teens and not serious enough for adults Jo Jo Rabbit is an alright watch with definitely a few good messages at its muddled heart 'love will always defeat hate' and 'even if you are ugly on skin you still can be lovely from within' so I guess its not all bad.