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Awix (3310 KP) rated Wild Card (2015) in Movies
Jul 30, 2020
Better-than-you'd-expect crime drama built around the closest thing to an actual acting performance Jason Statham has ever given. Statham plays the usual honourable but dangerous leg-breaker, but on this occasion the focus is more on who he is and why he does what he does than the incidentals of the plot.
That said, the script is sympathetically written (Statham doesn't have to cry or emote too much) and he's well-supported by a bunch of other people. There aren't as many action sequences as usual, but when they do come along they are top bracket. In the end it's an interesting combination of character study and violent thriller; my fondness for J-Stat may factor into why I found it fairly agreeable, though. An interesting change of pace for Mr S if nothing else.
That said, the script is sympathetically written (Statham doesn't have to cry or emote too much) and he's well-supported by a bunch of other people. There aren't as many action sequences as usual, but when they do come along they are top bracket. In the end it's an interesting combination of character study and violent thriller; my fondness for J-Stat may factor into why I found it fairly agreeable, though. An interesting change of pace for Mr S if nothing else.
Zachary McLaughlin (4 KP) rated The Bourne Identity (Jason Bourne, #1) in Books
Dec 13, 2018
Spyz, forgetfulnes, and.... What was I saying again?
This is one of my favorite books of all time. The beginning is very slow and methodical and creates a feeling of unease, and as the story progresses you learn more about character and what's going on almost as slowly as the protagonist Jason Bourne does. About half way through though there comes a point where we know more than he does and it increases the feeling of unease. As the story develops the pace slowly increases until you are reading as fast as you can trying to see what is going to happen or go wrong again. By the end you are sweaty and out of breathe and the reveal in the last chapter and even the last few lines is beautiful. Again I love this book.
Sarah Betts (103 KP) rated Midnight Alley (The Morganville Vampires #3) in Books
Dec 30, 2019
Claire is still trying to survive her freshman year at TPU and adjusting to her relationship with Shane. Michael is dealing with the results of becoming a vampire, and Eve is trying to stay away from her psycho brother Jason.
This book is great. It moves at a rapid pace and introduce news characters and still keeps the momentum going.
Claire's relationship with Myrnin is fascinating, because Claire actually gets to use her skills and show how important she is to Morganville.
Amelie is still very much the Ice Queen and there is a group f wannabe vampire hunters led by a guy who calls himself Captain Obvious.
The switch from every day life in the Glass House to the conspiracies and double-crossings that make up the Morganville social elite are contrasted nicely.
This book is funny, scary, and tragic. More YA books should be this well-written. Write faster, Rachel Caine!
This book is great. It moves at a rapid pace and introduce news characters and still keeps the momentum going.
Claire's relationship with Myrnin is fascinating, because Claire actually gets to use her skills and show how important she is to Morganville.
Amelie is still very much the Ice Queen and there is a group f wannabe vampire hunters led by a guy who calls himself Captain Obvious.
The switch from every day life in the Glass House to the conspiracies and double-crossings that make up the Morganville social elite are contrasted nicely.
This book is funny, scary, and tragic. More YA books should be this well-written. Write faster, Rachel Caine!
Hazel (2934 KP) rated Life of Crime in Books
Feb 4, 2018
I loved it
What a saga!
What a story!
Fantastic characters, cracking and clever plot, excellent twists, perfect pace ... this had it in bucket loads and had me totally absorbed from the start.
The story follows the life of Jason Rampling and the various capers and general dodgy dealings he uses and gets involved in in order to get away from his and his daughter's crappy life living with his alcoholic mother on a dire council estate.
Jason is an Arthur Daley or Del Boy kind of a character - you could call him a bit of a rogue - but I really warmed to him; yes he's not the kind of man I would want my daughter to bring home but there was something about him that I was drawn to and although I certainly didn't agree with everything he did, I did find myself having some sympathy for him despite the scrapes he got into being mostly of his own doing. Melissa, another of the main characters, is another story ... oh my goodness, she is one character that had me going round in circles ... do I like her or don't I? and don't even get me started on Tracey!!!! There are several other characters that I could mention but I would be going on for ages such is the ability of the author to bring these people to life and make them feel authentic and memorable.
This is a compelling and gripping take on the consequences of living a life of crime and I would most definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys a cracking read with not too much violence.
My thanks must go to the publisher, HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction, via Netgalley for my copy in return for an unbiased review.
What a story!
Fantastic characters, cracking and clever plot, excellent twists, perfect pace ... this had it in bucket loads and had me totally absorbed from the start.
The story follows the life of Jason Rampling and the various capers and general dodgy dealings he uses and gets involved in in order to get away from his and his daughter's crappy life living with his alcoholic mother on a dire council estate.
Jason is an Arthur Daley or Del Boy kind of a character - you could call him a bit of a rogue - but I really warmed to him; yes he's not the kind of man I would want my daughter to bring home but there was something about him that I was drawn to and although I certainly didn't agree with everything he did, I did find myself having some sympathy for him despite the scrapes he got into being mostly of his own doing. Melissa, another of the main characters, is another story ... oh my goodness, she is one character that had me going round in circles ... do I like her or don't I? and don't even get me started on Tracey!!!! There are several other characters that I could mention but I would be going on for ages such is the ability of the author to bring these people to life and make them feel authentic and memorable.
This is a compelling and gripping take on the consequences of living a life of crime and I would most definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys a cracking read with not too much violence.
My thanks must go to the publisher, HarperCollins UK, HarperFiction, via Netgalley for my copy in return for an unbiased review.
Gareth von Kallenbach (971 KP) rated The Switch (2010) in Movies
Aug 8, 2019
I had one thought when I entered the movie theater to see “The Switch”: what a hodge-podge cast. Leading lady, Jennifer Aniston (Kassie Larson), why she was once the face of 1990’s television! Jeff Goldblum (Leonard), I still think of him each time I encounter the subject of Dinosaurs. And Juliette Lewis (Debbie), she was in that Roller Derby flick, “Whip It” with the girl from Juno. How was a cast like this, enhanced by Arrested Development’s Jason Bateman, as male lead Wally Mars, going to make a film about a woman deciding to have a baby on her own?
None of the characters are perfect and the clothes are less than dazzling but the content and execution of “The Switch” is so honestly human that it manages to be subtly touching. Moreover, “The Switch” provides a new film perspective on love in New York City avoiding the overdone glitz and glamour of say “Sex and the City”.
But what is important to emphasize here is laughter. I didn’t expect to laugh as much as I did. Keep in mind there have been a number of comedic films that have attempted to touch on the subject of single women who choose to have and raise children on their own. I assumed films such as “The Back-Up Plan” and “Baby Mama” had completely covered the topic’s comedic angles, but l was wrong. This film is funny.
Still there were some scenes that could have been cut. The action could have moved at a quicker pace and it takes the first fifteen minutes of the film for the audience to connect with these imperfect characters.
However, “The Switch” is a very layered film; both human and well written while at the same time sharply funny. Moreover, this film is the much-anticipated proof that Jason Bateman does have what it takes to captivate as a lead on the big screen, so long as he has a strange son figure by his side
None of the characters are perfect and the clothes are less than dazzling but the content and execution of “The Switch” is so honestly human that it manages to be subtly touching. Moreover, “The Switch” provides a new film perspective on love in New York City avoiding the overdone glitz and glamour of say “Sex and the City”.
But what is important to emphasize here is laughter. I didn’t expect to laugh as much as I did. Keep in mind there have been a number of comedic films that have attempted to touch on the subject of single women who choose to have and raise children on their own. I assumed films such as “The Back-Up Plan” and “Baby Mama” had completely covered the topic’s comedic angles, but l was wrong. This film is funny.
Still there were some scenes that could have been cut. The action could have moved at a quicker pace and it takes the first fifteen minutes of the film for the audience to connect with these imperfect characters.
However, “The Switch” is a very layered film; both human and well written while at the same time sharply funny. Moreover, this film is the much-anticipated proof that Jason Bateman does have what it takes to captivate as a lead on the big screen, so long as he has a strange son figure by his side
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated The Rampart Guards (The Adventures of Jason Lex, #1) in Books
Jan 23, 2020
<b><i>I received this book for free from Roger Charlie in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.</i></b>
<p style="text-align: left;"><i>The Rampart Guards</i> basically made me realize that I'm definitely growing out of middle grade books and I should move on. This is an extremely scary thought, because what if I get tired of young adult books next?! That probably won't happen for a good while, and I've yet to actually read an adult novel that isn't from the cause of required reading.
<p style="text-align: left;">The first book in the <i>Chronicles of Jason Lex</i> starts out extremely slow, but picks up pace as the story progresses. Jason's mom suddenly goes missing, and Jason (along with his family) suddenly gets forced to move to a small town with their grandmother to get away from the painful memories of their mom. And to top it off, Jason sees weird blue electricity-like wisps coming out from his hands and eels in the sky later revealed as Skyfish. He's also a little whiny at the beginning of the novel, but eventually drops it as he realizes, "Oh, hey. Cryptids are real. Someone is hoping to expose these creatures and kill millions in the process, and if I don't get my act together, I might lose everything as well."
Wendy Terrien's debut novel is right up my alley in regards to concept <i>The Rampart Guards</i> is about cryptozoology, the study of creatures that may or may not exist. It's not everyday Big Foot, Loch Ness, and other creatures play a critical role in the plot of a novel, and it's the primary reason why <i>The Rampart Guards</i> caught my eye the moment the book was pitched to me.
I adored learning about all kinds of different creatures I've never heard of until I read this book, and if I do decide to continue on with the series, learning more about the cryptids and how this entire world works is going to be one thing I'll be extremely excited for.
Even though I didn't enjoy it as much as I hoped I would, <i>The Rampart Guards</i> will be a fantastic read for younger audiences.
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/review-the-rampart-guards-by-wendy-terrien/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
<p style="text-align: left;"><i>The Rampart Guards</i> basically made me realize that I'm definitely growing out of middle grade books and I should move on. This is an extremely scary thought, because what if I get tired of young adult books next?! That probably won't happen for a good while, and I've yet to actually read an adult novel that isn't from the cause of required reading.
<p style="text-align: left;">The first book in the <i>Chronicles of Jason Lex</i> starts out extremely slow, but picks up pace as the story progresses. Jason's mom suddenly goes missing, and Jason (along with his family) suddenly gets forced to move to a small town with their grandmother to get away from the painful memories of their mom. And to top it off, Jason sees weird blue electricity-like wisps coming out from his hands and eels in the sky later revealed as Skyfish. He's also a little whiny at the beginning of the novel, but eventually drops it as he realizes, "Oh, hey. Cryptids are real. Someone is hoping to expose these creatures and kill millions in the process, and if I don't get my act together, I might lose everything as well."
Wendy Terrien's debut novel is right up my alley in regards to concept <i>The Rampart Guards</i> is about cryptozoology, the study of creatures that may or may not exist. It's not everyday Big Foot, Loch Ness, and other creatures play a critical role in the plot of a novel, and it's the primary reason why <i>The Rampart Guards</i> caught my eye the moment the book was pitched to me.
I adored learning about all kinds of different creatures I've never heard of until I read this book, and if I do decide to continue on with the series, learning more about the cryptids and how this entire world works is going to be one thing I'll be extremely excited for.
Even though I didn't enjoy it as much as I hoped I would, <i>The Rampart Guards</i> will be a fantastic read for younger audiences.
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/review-the-rampart-guards-by-wendy-terrien/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
Merissa (11721 KP) rated An Opportunity Seized (Haven Security #1) in Books
Dec 17, 2018
I received this book from Sparkle Book Tours in return for a fair and honest review.
Toni is the daughter of an incredibly rich man in Australia and has therefore always felt like she has fallen short of the mark and will never live up to her parents' expectations. Her mum is slim and expects Toni to be the same, even though she has inherited her father's genes in the weight department. Jason is the military man who doesn't have oodles of money to his name but instead oozes sex appeal and Toni finds him irresistible.
I really wanted to like this book more than I actually did. I am loving the Romantic Suspense genre at the moment but something in this book just didn't work for me... and I'm at a loss to explain what it is. Perhaps it's the quickness of their relationship, perhaps it is how the relationship with her parents turns on its head within moments with no real explanation of why she was treated the way she thought she was in the past. The other thing could be that I never really felt that danger was present for Toni. The whole suspense issue, indeed most of the issues in the book, seemed to be resolved too quickly, too easily and all tied together with a neat bow.
The writing of this book is very well done and the plot flows at a steady pace. This is a light book to read when you don't want to have to think too deeply about anything.
Toni is the daughter of an incredibly rich man in Australia and has therefore always felt like she has fallen short of the mark and will never live up to her parents' expectations. Her mum is slim and expects Toni to be the same, even though she has inherited her father's genes in the weight department. Jason is the military man who doesn't have oodles of money to his name but instead oozes sex appeal and Toni finds him irresistible.
I really wanted to like this book more than I actually did. I am loving the Romantic Suspense genre at the moment but something in this book just didn't work for me... and I'm at a loss to explain what it is. Perhaps it's the quickness of their relationship, perhaps it is how the relationship with her parents turns on its head within moments with no real explanation of why she was treated the way she thought she was in the past. The other thing could be that I never really felt that danger was present for Toni. The whole suspense issue, indeed most of the issues in the book, seemed to be resolved too quickly, too easily and all tied together with a neat bow.
The writing of this book is very well done and the plot flows at a steady pace. This is a light book to read when you don't want to have to think too deeply about anything.
Phillip McSween (751 KP) rated Aquaman (2018) in Movies
Oct 21, 2019
Fun and Exhilarating
War is coming between Earth and the underwater world of Atlantis. Arthur Curry (Jason Momoa), half-human half Atlantean, seeks to end the war before it spirals out of control. Despite its shortcomings, I’ll get this out of the way now: Aquaman absolutely rocks.
Acting: 7
Beginning: 10
Characters: 8
Arthur’s character grew on me as the movie progressed. He’s a tough guy, no doubt, but I also appreciated his honesty in expressing fear at the same time. He wasn’t reckless, rather he was someone that fully understood the stakes. Despite this clearly being an action blockbuster, I appreciate the efforts in trying to make the characters fun and exhilarating.
Cinematography/Visuals: 10
Conflict: 10
Entertainment Value: 9
Memorability: 8
This movie won’t make you think. In fact, there are a number of times where it feels designed to do just the opposite. It’s memorability comes in the fact that I can honestly say I’ve never really seen anything like it. The scenes, sequences, and setpieces try really hard and it’s very endearing. The visuals are beautiful particularly during the underwater battle sequences. Just damn beautiful to watch. It’s Finding Nemo on steroids.
Pace: 10
Plot: 10
Resolution: 10
Didn’t linger, ended at exactly the right time with something feasible and simple. A great finish for an overall great experience.
Overall: 92
If you’re a fan of sports, you might relate to this analogy: Ever watch a playoff series and the underdog wins the first game? You say to yourself, “Meh, it’s one game. They’ll lose the next four.” Then they win the next game and another game. Your eyes start to get big as you realize, “They might actually do this!” DC, I’m looking at you. I’m rooting so hard that you guys keep the train rolling. Aquaman is a hit.
Acting: 7
Beginning: 10
Characters: 8
Arthur’s character grew on me as the movie progressed. He’s a tough guy, no doubt, but I also appreciated his honesty in expressing fear at the same time. He wasn’t reckless, rather he was someone that fully understood the stakes. Despite this clearly being an action blockbuster, I appreciate the efforts in trying to make the characters fun and exhilarating.
Cinematography/Visuals: 10
Conflict: 10
Entertainment Value: 9
Memorability: 8
This movie won’t make you think. In fact, there are a number of times where it feels designed to do just the opposite. It’s memorability comes in the fact that I can honestly say I’ve never really seen anything like it. The scenes, sequences, and setpieces try really hard and it’s very endearing. The visuals are beautiful particularly during the underwater battle sequences. Just damn beautiful to watch. It’s Finding Nemo on steroids.
Pace: 10
Plot: 10
Resolution: 10
Didn’t linger, ended at exactly the right time with something feasible and simple. A great finish for an overall great experience.
Overall: 92
If you’re a fan of sports, you might relate to this analogy: Ever watch a playoff series and the underdog wins the first game? You say to yourself, “Meh, it’s one game. They’ll lose the next four.” Then they win the next game and another game. Your eyes start to get big as you realize, “They might actually do this!” DC, I’m looking at you. I’m rooting so hard that you guys keep the train rolling. Aquaman is a hit.
JT (287 KP) rated Safe (2012) in Movies
Mar 10, 2020
There doesn’t seem to be a lot that Jason Statham cannot do, if he’s not leaping from building to building he’s punching bad guys through walls, as someone told me once “it’s all chewing gum for the mind.”
Safe is pretty much that, Statham plays Luke Wright an ex-cage fighter among other things whose family are murdered after he fails to throw a fight for a Russian mob boss. Instead of sending him to the grave the Russians’ warn Statham that anyone he gets close to they’ll kill. So he becomes a drifter, a homeless loner. That is until he comes across Mei, a young girl with a mathematical mind who has memorized some numbers for the Triads.
The numbers are the combination to a safe containing a $3om haul. However, it seems that the Russian Mafia have taken an interest in Mei as well as a group of corrupt NYPD cops. The film plays out as you would expect it to, with Statham taking the girl under his wing and gets given the chance to kick some ass once again. “You, the garbage collector?” wails one poor Russian, ” I never collected the garbage, I disposed of it” quips Statham.
Safe carries on at cat and mouse pace with everyone after Statham and the girl. There are some great action set pieces as you would expect, and they are performed with ferocious ferocity and cool like choreography. There isn’t anything unusual here really, the supporting cast amble along but stand back far enough to let The Stath do his thing.
The relationship with Mei is formed well and has a believable level of trust between the pair as Wright attempts to play the three chasing parties off against each other. It’s what you’d expect and there is no question of being short changed here.
Safe is pretty much that, Statham plays Luke Wright an ex-cage fighter among other things whose family are murdered after he fails to throw a fight for a Russian mob boss. Instead of sending him to the grave the Russians’ warn Statham that anyone he gets close to they’ll kill. So he becomes a drifter, a homeless loner. That is until he comes across Mei, a young girl with a mathematical mind who has memorized some numbers for the Triads.
The numbers are the combination to a safe containing a $3om haul. However, it seems that the Russian Mafia have taken an interest in Mei as well as a group of corrupt NYPD cops. The film plays out as you would expect it to, with Statham taking the girl under his wing and gets given the chance to kick some ass once again. “You, the garbage collector?” wails one poor Russian, ” I never collected the garbage, I disposed of it” quips Statham.
Safe carries on at cat and mouse pace with everyone after Statham and the girl. There are some great action set pieces as you would expect, and they are performed with ferocious ferocity and cool like choreography. There isn’t anything unusual here really, the supporting cast amble along but stand back far enough to let The Stath do his thing.
The relationship with Mei is formed well and has a believable level of trust between the pair as Wright attempts to play the three chasing parties off against each other. It’s what you’d expect and there is no question of being short changed here.
Erika (17788 KP) rated Wrath of Man (2021) in Movies
May 23, 2021 (Updated May 23, 2021)
Guy Ritchie’s newest film, Wrath of Man, is based upon a French film called le Convoyeur, or ‘Cash Truck’. It’s one of the first ‘big’ films that’s only been released in theaters here in the US.
The film was broken into chapters, with different timelines. The opening scene is a violent armored truck robbery, which set an interesting fast-paced tone right off the bat. For me, that pace didn’t stick.
Jason Statham’s character, Hill, or ‘H’ is introduced on his first day working at the same armored truck company a few months later. It’s obvious that Hill isn’t really his name, as he delays his response, and everything is not as it seems. He forms a bond, or something resembling a bond on the surface, with ‘Bullet’, who is his trainer and eventual partner. All the cash truck drivers had very odd nicknames, like Josh Hartnett’s character’s nickname was ‘Boy Sweat’. I don’t believe whatever inside joke it was referring to was ever explained. Of course, per usual, witty banter ensues, which was just kind of gross and crass. Apparently, all the other people in the theater, dudes, thought it was hilarious and it got some laughs. Of course, there was the obligatory ‘Mary Poppins’ comment concerning H’s English accent. I don’t understand why this keeps getting used, the only quip I have ever heard in real life by an American towards someone with an English accent is ‘Masterpiece Theater’.
The pace, as I said, slowed down, until the end of this ‘chapter’, when H stops his armored truck from being robbed by Post Malone. After he takes out all these robbers, he becomes a hero at the company. After a subsequent robbery, all H did was reveal his face, and bam, everyone scatters. Which was really kind of odd. I would have rather watched H tear through them like he did the first batch of robbers, but ok. Bullet then recites the jazzed-up title of this chapter, ‘He’s a dark {expletive] spirit’.
In the subsequent chapters, it becomes clear as to who H is, why the robbery at the beginning was featured, and who ends up being the rat.
Statham’s character in this film was the meanest and most ruthless character he’s ever played. Though, I’m pretty sure the movie could have used a lot more of his wrath. The other characters, portrayed by the likes of Hartnett, Holt McCallany, Andy Garcia, Rob Delany, Eddie Marsan, and Scott Eastwood, didn’t particularly stand out to me.
Overall, I was entertained during the film, I left feeling ambivalent. I think that it just wasn’t enough, maybe there needed to be more violence and more wrath. It almost needed to be more extreme, because in the end, it was neither here nor there.
The film was broken into chapters, with different timelines. The opening scene is a violent armored truck robbery, which set an interesting fast-paced tone right off the bat. For me, that pace didn’t stick.
Jason Statham’s character, Hill, or ‘H’ is introduced on his first day working at the same armored truck company a few months later. It’s obvious that Hill isn’t really his name, as he delays his response, and everything is not as it seems. He forms a bond, or something resembling a bond on the surface, with ‘Bullet’, who is his trainer and eventual partner. All the cash truck drivers had very odd nicknames, like Josh Hartnett’s character’s nickname was ‘Boy Sweat’. I don’t believe whatever inside joke it was referring to was ever explained. Of course, per usual, witty banter ensues, which was just kind of gross and crass. Apparently, all the other people in the theater, dudes, thought it was hilarious and it got some laughs. Of course, there was the obligatory ‘Mary Poppins’ comment concerning H’s English accent. I don’t understand why this keeps getting used, the only quip I have ever heard in real life by an American towards someone with an English accent is ‘Masterpiece Theater’.
The pace, as I said, slowed down, until the end of this ‘chapter’, when H stops his armored truck from being robbed by Post Malone. After he takes out all these robbers, he becomes a hero at the company. After a subsequent robbery, all H did was reveal his face, and bam, everyone scatters. Which was really kind of odd. I would have rather watched H tear through them like he did the first batch of robbers, but ok. Bullet then recites the jazzed-up title of this chapter, ‘He’s a dark {expletive] spirit’.
In the subsequent chapters, it becomes clear as to who H is, why the robbery at the beginning was featured, and who ends up being the rat.
Statham’s character in this film was the meanest and most ruthless character he’s ever played. Though, I’m pretty sure the movie could have used a lot more of his wrath. The other characters, portrayed by the likes of Hartnett, Holt McCallany, Andy Garcia, Rob Delany, Eddie Marsan, and Scott Eastwood, didn’t particularly stand out to me.
Overall, I was entertained during the film, I left feeling ambivalent. I think that it just wasn’t enough, maybe there needed to be more violence and more wrath. It almost needed to be more extreme, because in the end, it was neither here nor there.