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Steven Sklansky (231 KP) rated xXx: Return of Xander Cage (2017) in Movies
Sep 7, 2017
Simple Story Line (2 more)
Action Packed
Good Cast
Bad CGI in some parts (2 more)
Editing
Over the top stunts
Action Packed, Explosions and All Around Craziness
Contains spoilers, click to show
Man do I love action movies, but this one seemed to get out of control sometimes. I really do like the XXX series but there were somethings I would change about this one. The fact that Xander Cage was dead and come back was fine, but I would have liked a little back story on where he was hanging out. It also felt like he was doing a good job staying off the grid so finding him that easily and getting him on board felt simple.
The opening scene was OK, that's usually the part of the action movie that is supposed to grab you. But with Gibbons blowing up and not being a part of the movie was kind of sad. I really do like Vin and Sam's back and forth during the movie. Adding a little comedy the way they do is why I like their chemistry on screen. The rest of the plot was simple and straight forward. Only adding a few twists to a movie like this makes it more fun to watch and less to think about what is going on.
I like the addition of the XXX teams, it really showed that something was going on in between movies. Although it made is seem like the "bad" XXX team went rogue, but they were still trying to do right by the country. The team up between the 2 was fantastic, they finally realized they were on the same team and kicked some ass.
Now for the bad, there were times in this movie where the stunt work was too over the top even for me. You can do action without all the flipping and jumping. There are great stunt coordinators out there that can put together a great fight scene with out all extra stuff and still make it a good movie. There were also a few parts of the movie were you could tell it was CGI and not edited very well. The most notable was the motorcycle jet skis on the water. You really could tell how fake it was. Which is sad because it really could have been a cool scene.
Overall the movie was fun to watch, I would see the other 2 XXX movies before jumping into this one. There are a few hidden easter eggs that might make the watch more enjoyable. I wouldn't look to hard into the quality, just sit back and enjoy the show.
The opening scene was OK, that's usually the part of the action movie that is supposed to grab you. But with Gibbons blowing up and not being a part of the movie was kind of sad. I really do like Vin and Sam's back and forth during the movie. Adding a little comedy the way they do is why I like their chemistry on screen. The rest of the plot was simple and straight forward. Only adding a few twists to a movie like this makes it more fun to watch and less to think about what is going on.
I like the addition of the XXX teams, it really showed that something was going on in between movies. Although it made is seem like the "bad" XXX team went rogue, but they were still trying to do right by the country. The team up between the 2 was fantastic, they finally realized they were on the same team and kicked some ass.
Now for the bad, there were times in this movie where the stunt work was too over the top even for me. You can do action without all the flipping and jumping. There are great stunt coordinators out there that can put together a great fight scene with out all extra stuff and still make it a good movie. There were also a few parts of the movie were you could tell it was CGI and not edited very well. The most notable was the motorcycle jet skis on the water. You really could tell how fake it was. Which is sad because it really could have been a cool scene.
Overall the movie was fun to watch, I would see the other 2 XXX movies before jumping into this one. There are a few hidden easter eggs that might make the watch more enjoyable. I wouldn't look to hard into the quality, just sit back and enjoy the show.
Dean (6927 KP) rated Britannia - Season 1 in TV
Apr 8, 2018 (Updated Apr 8, 2018)
Dull and uneventful
Well this was billed as a GoT stop gap. It might have the grand production but overall I just couldn't keep interested. Just watched the last episode today having started a couple of months ago or more. First episode aside there is little action and far too much talk of "the Gods" spirit worlds etc. When it did finally end it wasn't really a good conclusion. I won't be bothering if they do another series.
Domonique (0 KP) rated The Woman in the Window in Books
May 12, 2018
I won an advanced copy of this and right from the beginning. it drew me in. I loved Anna and the idea of someone so crippled by what had happened in her life that she was afraid to go outside and really live. It took me a while to get through, only because I was trying to read too many books at once, and also because I think I wanted to drag this out as long as possible cause I didn't want it to end. I can't believe who the killer turned out to be, and he was so convincing. And Anna's family, I didn't see that either until the big reveal and that threw me for a loop as well. There were so many surprises, so many things that caught me off guard and made me want to keep reading to get to the bottom of this. I will definitely have to check out more books by this author.
Trudi (4 KP) rated Four weddings and a fiasco in Books
Jan 26, 2018
Nice heart warming story
Romantic comedies are not my usual read but I felt like a change. And I'm very glad I gave it a try, it was a very easy read as it was full of good scene setting description character build ups and an interesting back story too. Well worth the read, even if you're not a romcom reader.
The story is about Katy who is a wedding photographer with her own business who was left struggling after a family betrayal. Katy learns to trust and eventually love again. There are ups and downs that keep you glued to the book from beginning to end!
The story is about Katy who is a wedding photographer with her own business who was left struggling after a family betrayal. Katy learns to trust and eventually love again. There are ups and downs that keep you glued to the book from beginning to end!
Page-turner
Contains spoilers, click to show
From the very beginning, when she had her accident, died, and was on the ship. When she arrived in Elsewhere, diving to the bottom of the see, to meeting the love of her rewinding life, to her last day on Elsewhere and her reincarnation. It was all I could think of after reading the book, can't even find the right words to discribe the piece of treasure.
Lilyn G - Sci-Fi & Scary (91 KP) rated Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017) in Movies
Jan 31, 2018
Forced humor, cliches, and way too many jokes about male anatomy.
Contains spoilers, click to show
Okay, I'll start by saying that I did legit chuckle a few times watching Jumanji. I can't even recall why at this point, but there was definitely some laughter involved.
What stands out to me though (I watched the movie a few weeks ago) was all the things that annoyed me.
Like the African American kid from what appeared to be upper middle class whose mother made it seem like the team was his only hope of succeeding.
Also, the fact that it's of course the African American character in the game that is the one who loves alcohol and gets plastered without exercising any common sense.
Or, you know, the fact that it was just so funny to see Jack Black overplaying the 'female trapped in a man's body' thing to limp-wristing levels.
This movie could have been so much better than it was. But it was almost painful to watch. I was hoping we were moving past thinking that laughing at this type of crap was a good thing.
What stands out to me though (I watched the movie a few weeks ago) was all the things that annoyed me.
Like the African American kid from what appeared to be upper middle class whose mother made it seem like the team was his only hope of succeeding.
Also, the fact that it's of course the African American character in the game that is the one who loves alcohol and gets plastered without exercising any common sense.
Or, you know, the fact that it was just so funny to see Jack Black overplaying the 'female trapped in a man's body' thing to limp-wristing levels.
This movie could have been so much better than it was. But it was almost painful to watch. I was hoping we were moving past thinking that laughing at this type of crap was a good thing.
Roxanne (13 KP) rated Chimera Book Two in Books
Nov 14, 2018
<i>ARC received from Netgalley</i>
___ <b>3 Star Rating</b> ___
Like the first part this was a very fast paced and action filled read, however, I didn't enjoy it quite as much as the first. Although the writing had improved, there were less errors and you were drawn further into the story, it just got way too complicated and messy for me.
It got to the point where I just thought that even the characters don't even know whose side they are on, they just swapped sides continuously, so many times I lost count and everything just started to confuse me. There were new characters being introduced all the time with bizarre names that within a page I had forgotten who they were.
All of those points are a shame as <i>Chimera</i> has <b>great</b> potential!
I thought the way every chapter ended was really good in the way that it held my attention and made me want to know what happens next.
I just hope the 3rd book will be less messy.
___ <b>3 Star Rating</b> ___
Like the first part this was a very fast paced and action filled read, however, I didn't enjoy it quite as much as the first. Although the writing had improved, there were less errors and you were drawn further into the story, it just got way too complicated and messy for me.
It got to the point where I just thought that even the characters don't even know whose side they are on, they just swapped sides continuously, so many times I lost count and everything just started to confuse me. There were new characters being introduced all the time with bizarre names that within a page I had forgotten who they were.
All of those points are a shame as <i>Chimera</i> has <b>great</b> potential!
I thought the way every chapter ended was really good in the way that it held my attention and made me want to know what happens next.
I just hope the 3rd book will be less messy.
Andy K (10823 KP) rated Catfish (2010) in Movies
Nov 4, 2018
Professional identity theft is scary
I remember watching this film shortly after its release thinking how scary this is in the modern age of social media. I warn my kids not to reveal themselves too much in the public domain because you never know who else is watching and listening.
There was some controversy on whether this movie was even legit or it was a "Catfish" for all of us, but I believe it to be true.
I can only imagine the disappointment, anguish and outrage to discover your online relationship partner was feeding you a line of total bullshit from the beginning. If this is true, the victims must have had a hard time believing the levels which were gone through to keep on the ruse.
I found the documentary captivating and intriguing.
The final chapter is below:
There was some controversy on whether this movie was even legit or it was a "Catfish" for all of us, but I believe it to be true.
I can only imagine the disappointment, anguish and outrage to discover your online relationship partner was feeding you a line of total bullshit from the beginning. If this is true, the victims must have had a hard time believing the levels which were gone through to keep on the ruse.
I found the documentary captivating and intriguing.
The final chapter is below:
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2482 KP) rated Classified as Murder (Cat in the Stacks, #2) in Books
Mar 9, 2018
Charlie is surprised when James Delacorte asks for his help cataloging his private library since the two hardly know each other. But James fears that someone is stealing his rare books. Returning from his lunch break his first day on the job, Charlie finds James dead. Who killed him? Are there really missing library books?
I let too much time pass before I got back to this series, but I was thrilled to see Charlie and his cat Diesel again. They are great main characters, and I liked how Charlie and several relationships around him grew in this book. The mystery was a bit slow to get started, but once it did, the tension was strong and the ending was great.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2016/01/book-review-classified-as-murder-by.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
I let too much time pass before I got back to this series, but I was thrilled to see Charlie and his cat Diesel again. They are great main characters, and I liked how Charlie and several relationships around him grew in this book. The mystery was a bit slow to get started, but once it did, the tension was strong and the ending was great.
Read my full review at <a href="http://carstairsconsiders.blogspot.com/2016/01/book-review-classified-as-murder-by.html">Carstairs Considers</a>.
