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RəX Regent (349 KP) rated Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968) in Movies
Mar 7, 2019
Contains spoilers, click to show
This was the first time that I've seen this children's classic since I was a child, and I suppose that I'd hoped that it would live up to its reputation. In all fairness though, I din't like it that much when I was a child, if I'm honest and my children, though some DO like it, others seemed to have mixed feelings. At best, it's likable but never lovable and at worst, it just isn't liked at all.
So, as an adult I watched this loose adaptation of James Bond's, Ian Flemming's novel, with every good intention, but in the end was left disappointed. Firstly, at 2 hours and 20 minutes long, it feels like an epic, and a completely unnecessary one at that. Its intermission is turned into a Batfink or Adam West's Batman styled cliffhanger rather than a thematic or narrative break that it traditionally should have been, even going so far as to recap the action in the second act!
The songs weren't great either, generally bordering on tedium rather than holding my interest. The story seems to be a little off kilter too, with a seemingly fatal crash destroying the eponymous car before its eventual restoration by Dick van Dyke. This was the culmination of a five-minute title sequence showcasing the early Grand Prix's of 1907 and '08 which for a family film seemed to drag somewhat.
But after an hour of songs and character development, we finally take off in the flying car to the fantasy land of Vulgaria, only for the whole experience to be a fantastical story told by Van Dyke's, Caractacus Potts! All in all, this was a strange film, but not in an entertaining way like Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory, the connection being Roald Dahl's involvement with the screenplay, but in a rather boring way, with events just seeing to happen without any really cause or need. One hour of story, then another one of fantasy. How many other films can boast this kind narrative twist and get away with it. It just seemed to be indulgent and plodding.
It would defiantly have been improved if the car was actually magical and did actually take them on this adventure rather than suggesting that it is perfectly okay to sing and dance around the real world but it's a stretch too far to have a flying car! It should have been a fantasy through and through rather than six of one and half a dozen of the other.
Ultimately, Overrated in my opinion and since the view of FOUR children, boys and girls ranging from 7 – 15, is that it's watchable rather than fully enjoyable, I suspect that this film is being viewed through rose tinted glasses.
So, as an adult I watched this loose adaptation of James Bond's, Ian Flemming's novel, with every good intention, but in the end was left disappointed. Firstly, at 2 hours and 20 minutes long, it feels like an epic, and a completely unnecessary one at that. Its intermission is turned into a Batfink or Adam West's Batman styled cliffhanger rather than a thematic or narrative break that it traditionally should have been, even going so far as to recap the action in the second act!
The songs weren't great either, generally bordering on tedium rather than holding my interest. The story seems to be a little off kilter too, with a seemingly fatal crash destroying the eponymous car before its eventual restoration by Dick van Dyke. This was the culmination of a five-minute title sequence showcasing the early Grand Prix's of 1907 and '08 which for a family film seemed to drag somewhat.
But after an hour of songs and character development, we finally take off in the flying car to the fantasy land of Vulgaria, only for the whole experience to be a fantastical story told by Van Dyke's, Caractacus Potts! All in all, this was a strange film, but not in an entertaining way like Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory, the connection being Roald Dahl's involvement with the screenplay, but in a rather boring way, with events just seeing to happen without any really cause or need. One hour of story, then another one of fantasy. How many other films can boast this kind narrative twist and get away with it. It just seemed to be indulgent and plodding.
It would defiantly have been improved if the car was actually magical and did actually take them on this adventure rather than suggesting that it is perfectly okay to sing and dance around the real world but it's a stretch too far to have a flying car! It should have been a fantasy through and through rather than six of one and half a dozen of the other.
Ultimately, Overrated in my opinion and since the view of FOUR children, boys and girls ranging from 7 – 15, is that it's watchable rather than fully enjoyable, I suspect that this film is being viewed through rose tinted glasses.
Not as funny as I hoped, but engaging enough
Holland has been obsessed with a handsome subway busker for quite some time. One evening, he winds up rescuing her after she falls on the subway tracks, kicking off a whirlwind of events. Holland helps Calvin get an audition with her uncle Robert, a Broadway musical director. Calvin is infinitely talented, but, it turns out, also in the United States illegally. So Holland does something she never does: makes an impulsive decision. She'll offer to marry Calvin so he can stay in the country, live out his dream, and help her uncle's hit show. Calvin quickly becomes a Broadway star. As for Calvin and Holland--they quickly realize they may be more than roommates. But what will it take for them to admit it? And for each to move past their own issues?
This was my first Christina Lauren book, which I picked up after hearing lots of Goodreads friends praise the dynamic duo. I am always a sucker for a good, fun romance. I was surprised to find the book start with Holland already lusting after Calvin, whom she called "Jack," as she watched him from afar at the subway. The action gets underway quickly, and it did seem like they each agreed to their extreme plan (marriage to someone they'd never met!) rather rapidly and easily. Even Holland's protective uncles came on board very quickly.
Some pros--a somewhat diverse cast, including Holland's adorable gay uncles, who were often couple goals. I enjoyed getting some insight into a Broadway musical, as well as the immigration process, although I bet both of those were sugarcoated a bit. Still, I found Holland a bit of a doormat; she frustrated me with her lack of ability to stand up for herself. While her inability to find herself is the premise of the book, a strong romance only works for me if I'm invested in the characters, and I just didn't always feel it with Holland and Calvin. Holland was too wishy washy and I never felt like I got to know Calvin enough. It was frustrating, because I could see moments of humor in the book, but never enough to truly win me over. I needed more to fully root for the couple. That's not to say I didn't enjoy the book: it's cute and fun at times, and an easy read.
Overall, I had a tough time warming up to the main characters, and I didn't always find the funny situations that humorous. The premise was a little crazy, but was engaging enough. I'll be curious to see how I feel about my next Christina Lauren read.
This was my first Christina Lauren book, which I picked up after hearing lots of Goodreads friends praise the dynamic duo. I am always a sucker for a good, fun romance. I was surprised to find the book start with Holland already lusting after Calvin, whom she called "Jack," as she watched him from afar at the subway. The action gets underway quickly, and it did seem like they each agreed to their extreme plan (marriage to someone they'd never met!) rather rapidly and easily. Even Holland's protective uncles came on board very quickly.
Some pros--a somewhat diverse cast, including Holland's adorable gay uncles, who were often couple goals. I enjoyed getting some insight into a Broadway musical, as well as the immigration process, although I bet both of those were sugarcoated a bit. Still, I found Holland a bit of a doormat; she frustrated me with her lack of ability to stand up for herself. While her inability to find herself is the premise of the book, a strong romance only works for me if I'm invested in the characters, and I just didn't always feel it with Holland and Calvin. Holland was too wishy washy and I never felt like I got to know Calvin enough. It was frustrating, because I could see moments of humor in the book, but never enough to truly win me over. I needed more to fully root for the couple. That's not to say I didn't enjoy the book: it's cute and fun at times, and an easy read.
Overall, I had a tough time warming up to the main characters, and I didn't always find the funny situations that humorous. The premise was a little crazy, but was engaging enough. I'll be curious to see how I feel about my next Christina Lauren read.
Movie Metropolis (309 KP) rated The Last Witch Hunter (2015) in Movies
Jun 11, 2019
Enjoyable if forgettable
Can you imagine Vin Diesel as a peacekeeper in a time of witch suppression? I admit when I first heard the premise of The Last Witch Hunter I was a little sceptical of just how the Fast & Furious star would cope with such a change of role.
However, my concerns were quickly brushed aside during the first ten minutes of this unusual action adventure. But is the rest of the movie as good as its leading man?
Unfortunately, the short answer is no. Not only does Vin Diesel have to stand-off against supernatural beings, he has to take on a bland script, clichéd side characters, including a terrifically poor performance from Elijah Wood, and a plot that constantly shifts uncomfortably in tone – unable to grasp just what genre it is trying to be.
The Last Witch Hunter follows Diesel’s Kaulder as he tries to keep the peace during a time when witches live among humans in plain sight, bound by laws sworn in after a great war that ravished both sides.
He, alongside the ever-reliable Michael Caine, a wooden Elijah Wood and a lacklustre Rose Leslie fight to save the planet from the torment of a Witch Queen.
That pretty much sums up the entire plot and the dialogue doesn’t fare any better with a forced comedic edge stopping the film dead in its tracks.
Elsewhere, the characters are drawn so thinly that only Diesel makes any kind of lasting impression, though the audience is force fed a backstory so emotional, it feels like it’s been brought straight from The X Factor.
Nevertheless, The Last Witch Hunter’s succinct running time does a lot to turn the film around. Thankfully, the thin story just about stretches over the 106 minutes and the set pieces are an enjoyable romp with Diesel doing what he does best.
The special effects too are very good indeed. Considering its lesser-known nature, the production team have crafted some creepy and intriguing sets with the finale looking like it took the majority of the film’s $90million budget.
It’s just a shame that the rest of the movie falls terribly flat. What could have been an unusual and exciting trip to the cinema, ends up being another forgettable and tiresome experience.
Overall, The Last Witch Hunter is an enjoyable if entirely forgettable romp that suffers from the same problems that blight so many Hollywood blockbusters. From bland characters to poor scriptwriting and bad dialogue, only Vin Diesel and some good special effects save it from being a write-off.
https://moviemetropolis.net/2015/10/25/enjoyable-if-forgettable-the-last-witch-hunter-review/
However, my concerns were quickly brushed aside during the first ten minutes of this unusual action adventure. But is the rest of the movie as good as its leading man?
Unfortunately, the short answer is no. Not only does Vin Diesel have to stand-off against supernatural beings, he has to take on a bland script, clichéd side characters, including a terrifically poor performance from Elijah Wood, and a plot that constantly shifts uncomfortably in tone – unable to grasp just what genre it is trying to be.
The Last Witch Hunter follows Diesel’s Kaulder as he tries to keep the peace during a time when witches live among humans in plain sight, bound by laws sworn in after a great war that ravished both sides.
He, alongside the ever-reliable Michael Caine, a wooden Elijah Wood and a lacklustre Rose Leslie fight to save the planet from the torment of a Witch Queen.
That pretty much sums up the entire plot and the dialogue doesn’t fare any better with a forced comedic edge stopping the film dead in its tracks.
Elsewhere, the characters are drawn so thinly that only Diesel makes any kind of lasting impression, though the audience is force fed a backstory so emotional, it feels like it’s been brought straight from The X Factor.
Nevertheless, The Last Witch Hunter’s succinct running time does a lot to turn the film around. Thankfully, the thin story just about stretches over the 106 minutes and the set pieces are an enjoyable romp with Diesel doing what he does best.
The special effects too are very good indeed. Considering its lesser-known nature, the production team have crafted some creepy and intriguing sets with the finale looking like it took the majority of the film’s $90million budget.
It’s just a shame that the rest of the movie falls terribly flat. What could have been an unusual and exciting trip to the cinema, ends up being another forgettable and tiresome experience.
Overall, The Last Witch Hunter is an enjoyable if entirely forgettable romp that suffers from the same problems that blight so many Hollywood blockbusters. From bland characters to poor scriptwriting and bad dialogue, only Vin Diesel and some good special effects save it from being a write-off.
https://moviemetropolis.net/2015/10/25/enjoyable-if-forgettable-the-last-witch-hunter-review/
Fred (860 KP) rated Dumbo (2019) in Movies
Jun 19, 2019
This is how you ruin a classic
Dumbo is one of my favorite Disney films. The original, not this crap. When told that his film was not long enough to be considered a full-length movie & that he would have to add 10 more minutes or so, Disney said "No. It's perfect the way it is." And he was right. The people who made this live-action remake apparently never heard that story. It's almost 2 hours long. The original story of the first film is done in about the first 20 minutes of this film, then it's an original sequel, basically.
The first & main problem of the film is the most obvious. The focus on the human characters over the animal characters. There are no talking animals in this one. Sure, Dumbo didn't talk, but he had Timothy mouse with him to speak for him. There's no stork, the bully elephants are gone, even the racist, but very entertaining crows are completely gone.
Second problem: Some of the music from the original film is here, but instrumental versions. Only "Baby Mine" is sung. We hear a clip of "Casey Jr." at the beginning. At the very end of the credits, we hear a bit of "When I See a Elephant Fly", but no "Look Out For Mr. Stork". But the biggest mistake was what they did with "Pink Elephants on Parade" In the original film, Dumbo accidentally drinks some champagne & gets drunk. He then blows bubbles & the bubbles take shape & thus begins one of the greatest scenes in Disney history. The bubbles take the shape of dancing, skating & tromping elephants. The scene is a nightmare & probably scared some kids in the day. The song itself is both fun & creepy. This should be perfect Tim Burton stuff, but in this film, it is not. In this film, circus performers are creating giant bubbles & somehow they are taking the shape of the elephants. In fact, they're copies of the elephants (and camel) from the original film. The song plays, but again, no lyrics. It's also not very well directed. Instead of looking like a nightmare, they keep cutting to Dumbo, watching the performers, with a smile.
And that brings me to another problem. Tim Burton. Like most Tim Burton movies, it looks fantastic, but it's just boring. The story is boring & unoriginal (Free Willy anyone?) I didn't get to like any of the human characters to care. They kind of just go through the motions. Dumbo himself lacks character & I never really felt for him.
I know Disney is set on remaking their classics & I haven't seen any before (and probably will not see anymore after this one). It breaks my heart to see Disney reduced to this sort of thing. I'll stick with the originals, thank you.
The first & main problem of the film is the most obvious. The focus on the human characters over the animal characters. There are no talking animals in this one. Sure, Dumbo didn't talk, but he had Timothy mouse with him to speak for him. There's no stork, the bully elephants are gone, even the racist, but very entertaining crows are completely gone.
Second problem: Some of the music from the original film is here, but instrumental versions. Only "Baby Mine" is sung. We hear a clip of "Casey Jr." at the beginning. At the very end of the credits, we hear a bit of "When I See a Elephant Fly", but no "Look Out For Mr. Stork". But the biggest mistake was what they did with "Pink Elephants on Parade" In the original film, Dumbo accidentally drinks some champagne & gets drunk. He then blows bubbles & the bubbles take shape & thus begins one of the greatest scenes in Disney history. The bubbles take the shape of dancing, skating & tromping elephants. The scene is a nightmare & probably scared some kids in the day. The song itself is both fun & creepy. This should be perfect Tim Burton stuff, but in this film, it is not. In this film, circus performers are creating giant bubbles & somehow they are taking the shape of the elephants. In fact, they're copies of the elephants (and camel) from the original film. The song plays, but again, no lyrics. It's also not very well directed. Instead of looking like a nightmare, they keep cutting to Dumbo, watching the performers, with a smile.
And that brings me to another problem. Tim Burton. Like most Tim Burton movies, it looks fantastic, but it's just boring. The story is boring & unoriginal (Free Willy anyone?) I didn't get to like any of the human characters to care. They kind of just go through the motions. Dumbo himself lacks character & I never really felt for him.
I know Disney is set on remaking their classics & I haven't seen any before (and probably will not see anymore after this one). It breaks my heart to see Disney reduced to this sort of thing. I'll stick with the originals, thank you.
<a href="http://fuzzysparrow.tumblr.com/post/96277346177">This was my Book of the Month for August 2014.</a>
<i>This eBook was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review</i>
The recently televised novel <i>The 100</i> by Kass Morgan is the first in a unique dystopian series set centuries into the future. Cataclysmic nuclear and biological wars rendered Earth uninhabitable forcing humans to create a new life in space on a very large ship. Three hundred years later scientists judge that the harmful radiation that destroyed Earth may have reduced or even completely disappeared meaning that the planet would finally be safe for humans. To test this theory the Colony sends one hundred adolescent lawbreakers with the mission to begin to recolonize Earth.
The novel is told from the point of view of four characters: Clarke, Wells, Bellamy and Glass. The first three are on the drop ship to Earth, however Glass escapes at the very last second and remains behind. Although there may be a hundred people on this mission, none of them have any idea what to expect or how to live on a planet. It does not help matters when the drop ship crash lands leaving them, particularly Clarke, the only one with medical knowledge, with an even more difficult situation than they were anticipating. Meanwhile, back on ship Glass is discovering that human life may be in as much danger there as they would be on Earth.
Each character also has flashbacks to their life on the ship, which gradually reveals the events that led up to them being convicted as criminals and thus sent to their new lives, or even possible deaths. Due to this there was less action set on Earth than there could have been – there was not enough time for a <i>Lord of the Flies</i> situation to arise. However it was fascinating to imagine their reaction to the first time they saw the sun set or felt the rain; being mesmerized by bird song and enjoying their first ever piece of meat.
As with most young adult novels there is the inevitable romance theme consisting of conflicting feelings and love triangles. The overall situation the main characters found themselves in was, in part, due to actions they committed in the name of love. Sometimes this theme could get a little annoying and hinder the dystopian side of the story, however it would not have been able to function without these elements.
Kass Morgan concludes <i>The 100</i> at the peak of the climax leaving us desperately wanting to find out what happens next. This is a highly recommended book for young adult readers with a love for science fiction.
<i>This eBook was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review</i>
The recently televised novel <i>The 100</i> by Kass Morgan is the first in a unique dystopian series set centuries into the future. Cataclysmic nuclear and biological wars rendered Earth uninhabitable forcing humans to create a new life in space on a very large ship. Three hundred years later scientists judge that the harmful radiation that destroyed Earth may have reduced or even completely disappeared meaning that the planet would finally be safe for humans. To test this theory the Colony sends one hundred adolescent lawbreakers with the mission to begin to recolonize Earth.
The novel is told from the point of view of four characters: Clarke, Wells, Bellamy and Glass. The first three are on the drop ship to Earth, however Glass escapes at the very last second and remains behind. Although there may be a hundred people on this mission, none of them have any idea what to expect or how to live on a planet. It does not help matters when the drop ship crash lands leaving them, particularly Clarke, the only one with medical knowledge, with an even more difficult situation than they were anticipating. Meanwhile, back on ship Glass is discovering that human life may be in as much danger there as they would be on Earth.
Each character also has flashbacks to their life on the ship, which gradually reveals the events that led up to them being convicted as criminals and thus sent to their new lives, or even possible deaths. Due to this there was less action set on Earth than there could have been – there was not enough time for a <i>Lord of the Flies</i> situation to arise. However it was fascinating to imagine their reaction to the first time they saw the sun set or felt the rain; being mesmerized by bird song and enjoying their first ever piece of meat.
As with most young adult novels there is the inevitable romance theme consisting of conflicting feelings and love triangles. The overall situation the main characters found themselves in was, in part, due to actions they committed in the name of love. Sometimes this theme could get a little annoying and hinder the dystopian side of the story, however it would not have been able to function without these elements.
Kass Morgan concludes <i>The 100</i> at the peak of the climax leaving us desperately wanting to find out what happens next. This is a highly recommended book for young adult readers with a love for science fiction.
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