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Charlie Cobra Reviews (1840 KP) rated Maleficent: Mistress of Evil (2019) in Movies
Jul 7, 2020
Impressive Cast & Visuals Are Not Enough When Compared To The First Film's Magical Story
Contains spoilers, click to show
The beginning started off strong for this movie and it immediately reminded me of what i liked about the first one. Angelina Jolie is just magnificent as Maleficent and you can tell she really enjoys acting the part. I didn't really understand why the people feared her is she wasn't a bad guy (which was the point of the first one I thought, showing the story from her side), but apparently the Queen was spreading rumors or stories to make people frightened. At the dinner scene it was quite believable from Maleficent's outburst that she might have done something to the King but to me it was too out of character that Aurora would believe her to do something like that. Also it was too Deus Ex Machina for another Fey, Connall to have been around close enough for him to save Maleficent when she is shot by an iron bullet. I really liked the scene where they fly around the underground caverns where the other Fey live and show the different biomes and talk about her unknown heritage. It bothered me that the Queen had that little fairy guy that was doing the experiments for her on his own people and how that stuff could kill him too, but what bothered me more was that it never showed his motivations when he released the little creatures in the dungeon. It just showed him do it and never said why or what changed his mind, I feel like there might have been a scene cut there or something. And then there was a couple of ridiculous scenes for me that almost killed this movie for me. One was that all the fairy creatures were invited to the wedding, which was obviously a trap with the red powder already being hinted at, but the fact that the people didn't make as much a deal about it like they did when Maleficent came to dinner surprised me. I mean they had guards holding back the citizens but when Maleficent appeared they ran away, wouldn't they have acted similarly if there were monsters coming to their kingdom. The attack by the Dark Fey on the castle was also one of those parts that made me wonder what the hell was going on. They are massacred on a big scale by the red powder which earlier in the film, it said that it was hard to make or took a long time, but they had butt loads of it in this battle. They had so much that when the Dark Fey retreat and change where they attack the humans even had traps setup in those areas as well. I mean it made for an interesting intense battle scene but Maleficent was the only one of her kind the humans had ever seen and only the Queen's servant said she saw one similar to her save her from the water. How did they know an army was coming and attacking by air. Good planning, smart Queen I guess. I was greatly disappointed that Maleficent didn't turn into a dragon like the cartoon. I love seeing a good dragon on screen but I guess the Phoenix was a good change and fit more with the story especially with her sacrifice. Phoenix's are reborn from their ashes as it says. The last part I found to be laughable was that when the battle is over Aurora is like, "Weddings back on". Her and the Prince are like, we will live in peace from now on with the Moors. Ok, you were just killing each other a couple of minutes ago, and so many Dark Fey died it wasn't even funny. Oh yeah, this movie also did quite a great job of hiding any blood whatsoever in a lot of scenes where there probably should have been some maybe a little. I mean Maleficent gets shot, Connall gets shot up like swiss-cheese, and the soldiers are shooting in the final battle and everyone has weapons like axes, swords, etc..
The beginning started off strong for this movie and it immediately reminded me of what i liked about the first one. Angelina Jolie is just magnificent as Maleficent and you can tell she really enjoys acting the part. I didn't really understand why the people feared her is she wasn't a bad guy (which was the point of the first one I thought, showing the story from her side), but apparently the Queen was spreading rumors or stories to make people frightened. At the dinner scene it was quite believable from Maleficent's outburst that she might have done something to the King but to me it was too out of character that Aurora would believe her to do something like that. Also it was too Deus Ex Machina for another Fey, Connall to have been around close enough for him to save Maleficent when she is shot by an iron bullet. I really liked the scene where they fly around the underground caverns where the other Fey live and show the different biomes and talk about her unkown heritage. It bothered me that the Queen had that little fairy guy that was doing the experiments for her on his own people and how that stuff could kill him too, but what bothered me more was that it never showed his motivations when he released the little creatures in the dungeon. It just showed him do it and never said why or what changed his mind, I feel like there might have been a scene cut there or something. And then there was a couple of ridiculous scenes for me that almost killed this movie for me. One was that all the fairy creatures were invited to the wedding, which was obviously a trap with the red powder already being hinted at, but the fact that the people didn't make as much a deal about it like they did when Maleficent came to dinner surprised me. I mean they had guards holding back the citizens but when Maleficent appeared they ran away, wouldn't they have acted similarly if there were monsters coming to their kingdom. The attack by the Dark Fey on the castle was also one of those parts that made me wonder what the hell was going on. They are massacred on a big scale by the red powder which earlier in the film, it said that it was hard to make or took a long time, but they had butt loads of it in this battle. They had so much that when the Dark Fey retreat and change where they attack the humans even had traps setup in those areas as well. I mean it made for an interesting intense battle scene but Maleficent was the only one of her kind the humans had ever seen and only the Queen's servant said she saw one similar to her save her from the water. How did they know an army was coming and attacking by air. Good planning, smart Queen I guess. I was greatly disappointed that Maleficent didn't turn into a dragon like the cartoon. I love seeing a good dragon on screen but I guess the Phoenix was a good change and fit more with the story especially with her sacrifice. Phoenix's are reborn from their ashes as it says. The last part I found to be laughable was that when the battle is over Aurora is like, "Weddings back on". Her and the Prince are like, we will live in peace from now on with the Moors. Ok, you were just killing each other a couple of minutes ago, and so many Dark Fey died it wasn't even funny. Oh yeah, this movie also did quite a great job of hiding any blood whatsoever in a lot of scenes where there probably should have been some maybe a little. I mean Maleficent gets shot, Connall gets shot up like swiss-cheese, and the soldiers are shooting in the final battle and everyone has weapons like axes, swords, etc.. I really wanted to give this movie a 7 but I have to give it a 6/10.
The beginning started off strong for this movie and it immediately reminded me of what i liked about the first one. Angelina Jolie is just magnificent as Maleficent and you can tell she really enjoys acting the part. I didn't really understand why the people feared her is she wasn't a bad guy (which was the point of the first one I thought, showing the story from her side), but apparently the Queen was spreading rumors or stories to make people frightened. At the dinner scene it was quite believable from Maleficent's outburst that she might have done something to the King but to me it was too out of character that Aurora would believe her to do something like that. Also it was too Deus Ex Machina for another Fey, Connall to have been around close enough for him to save Maleficent when she is shot by an iron bullet. I really liked the scene where they fly around the underground caverns where the other Fey live and show the different biomes and talk about her unkown heritage. It bothered me that the Queen had that little fairy guy that was doing the experiments for her on his own people and how that stuff could kill him too, but what bothered me more was that it never showed his motivations when he released the little creatures in the dungeon. It just showed him do it and never said why or what changed his mind, I feel like there might have been a scene cut there or something. And then there was a couple of ridiculous scenes for me that almost killed this movie for me. One was that all the fairy creatures were invited to the wedding, which was obviously a trap with the red powder already being hinted at, but the fact that the people didn't make as much a deal about it like they did when Maleficent came to dinner surprised me. I mean they had guards holding back the citizens but when Maleficent appeared they ran away, wouldn't they have acted similarly if there were monsters coming to their kingdom. The attack by the Dark Fey on the castle was also one of those parts that made me wonder what the hell was going on. They are massacred on a big scale by the red powder which earlier in the film, it said that it was hard to make or took a long time, but they had butt loads of it in this battle. They had so much that when the Dark Fey retreat and change where they attack the humans even had traps setup in those areas as well. I mean it made for an interesting intense battle scene but Maleficent was the only one of her kind the humans had ever seen and only the Queen's servant said she saw one similar to her save her from the water. How did they know an army was coming and attacking by air. Good planning, smart Queen I guess. I was greatly disappointed that Maleficent didn't turn into a dragon like the cartoon. I love seeing a good dragon on screen but I guess the Phoenix was a good change and fit more with the story especially with her sacrifice. Phoenix's are reborn from their ashes as it says. The last part I found to be laughable was that when the battle is over Aurora is like, "Weddings back on". Her and the Prince are like, we will live in peace from now on with the Moors. Ok, you were just killing each other a couple of minutes ago, and so many Dark Fey died it wasn't even funny. Oh yeah, this movie also did quite a great job of hiding any blood whatsoever in a lot of scenes where there probably should have been some maybe a little. I mean Maleficent gets shot, Connall gets shot up like swiss-cheese, and the soldiers are shooting in the final battle and everyone has weapons like axes, swords, etc.. I really wanted to give this movie a 7 but I have to give it a 6/10.
Running Made Easy: Updated Edition of the Bestselling Running Book
Lisa Jackson, Susie Whalley and Zest Magazine
Book
Running Made Easy is quite simply the friendliest, most inspiring running book ever written. Updated...
Hazel (2934 KP) rated The Jigsaw Man in Books
Feb 21, 2021
This is a gruesome and dark thriller and it's great!!
I must say though that if you're a bit squeamish and don't like graphic descriptions of murder, then don't read this. If you do or don't mind a bit of gore, then crack on.
The characters are great, the plot is absorbing and complex and the ability of the author to capture the feelings of the various protagonists is excellent.
I absolutely love a good "baddie" and Nadine Matheson has created one such character in Peter Olivier; he is deliciously evil, extremely charming, highly intelligent, an excellent manipulator and everything you would want in a (fictitious) serial killer ... think Ted Bundy crossed with Jeffrey Dahmer and you have a pretty good picture.
This is a gripping read which although starts a little slow, it builds in tension and action as you turn the pages culminating in an exciting finale which definitely leaves the door open for a sequel and the intriguing backstory lends itself to a prequel ... well I would certainly read either or both!
Thank you to HQ (an imprint of HarperCollins UK) and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest and unbiased review.
I must say though that if you're a bit squeamish and don't like graphic descriptions of murder, then don't read this. If you do or don't mind a bit of gore, then crack on.
The characters are great, the plot is absorbing and complex and the ability of the author to capture the feelings of the various protagonists is excellent.
I absolutely love a good "baddie" and Nadine Matheson has created one such character in Peter Olivier; he is deliciously evil, extremely charming, highly intelligent, an excellent manipulator and everything you would want in a (fictitious) serial killer ... think Ted Bundy crossed with Jeffrey Dahmer and you have a pretty good picture.
This is a gripping read which although starts a little slow, it builds in tension and action as you turn the pages culminating in an exciting finale which definitely leaves the door open for a sequel and the intriguing backstory lends itself to a prequel ... well I would certainly read either or both!
Thank you to HQ (an imprint of HarperCollins UK) and NetGalley for my copy in return for an honest and unbiased review.
Werble - The Photo Animator
Photo & Video and Entertainment
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Transform your photos into spectacular and captivating looping animations that will command...
Emma @ The Movies (1786 KP) rated Holmes and Watson (2018) in Movies
Sep 25, 2019
This film wasn't without some laughs. With its witty caption at the very beginning followed by quite an entertaining scene where Holmes and Watson first meet I had some hopes that the feedback I'd been hearing was a little over played. By the end of the film however... well I can count the amount of times I laughed out loud on one hand. As a 90 minute film with two of those laughs coming right at the beginning it's not exactly amazing.
But... there's always a but... I'm not really a fan of repetetive humour. There are a few scenes that rely on the same gag over and over, that's just not my sort of thing. There is certainly an audience out there for this film, it just wasn't me.
I'm not particularly a fan of Will Ferrell or John C Reilly, they produce entertaining characters but they're not generally names that will have me running out straight away to see something. In such a mediocre film though John C Reilly has managed to pull out a great performance. It doesn't feel like he's hamming it up quite as much as Ferrell and for the most part he's great on screen.
There are a few cameo parts involved. Steve Coogan was given quite a good part to play, and Pam Ferris as Queen Victoria seemed to come out of it alright too. It's coming again... but... Hugh Laurie's piece, well it's not what we're used to from him or Mycroft.
One of the things I love is the mid-air mind calculations in Holmes related things and thankfully this film does them in a rather amusing way. We're treated to a few, although my personal favourite came from the mind of Watson. From his solution I'm going to say that there's a little bit of Watson in most of us.
Mini spoiler alert... there's a musical number. I slumped in my seat a bit when it started. Don't panic though, it was actually quite good. I feel like they might be able to get a music video out of it somewhere.
What you should do
My gut reaction is that this sort of film is a bit Marmite. If you enjoy their sort of humour then you'll enjoy it, if not then you'll probably get a handful of laughs out of it like I did. It's definitely a streamer, get some friends over, order some pizza and pour some drinks. In that scenario I think most people would find it amusing.
Movie thing you wish you could take home
I would honestly love the picture that Millie draws for Holmes.
But... there's always a but... I'm not really a fan of repetetive humour. There are a few scenes that rely on the same gag over and over, that's just not my sort of thing. There is certainly an audience out there for this film, it just wasn't me.
I'm not particularly a fan of Will Ferrell or John C Reilly, they produce entertaining characters but they're not generally names that will have me running out straight away to see something. In such a mediocre film though John C Reilly has managed to pull out a great performance. It doesn't feel like he's hamming it up quite as much as Ferrell and for the most part he's great on screen.
There are a few cameo parts involved. Steve Coogan was given quite a good part to play, and Pam Ferris as Queen Victoria seemed to come out of it alright too. It's coming again... but... Hugh Laurie's piece, well it's not what we're used to from him or Mycroft.
One of the things I love is the mid-air mind calculations in Holmes related things and thankfully this film does them in a rather amusing way. We're treated to a few, although my personal favourite came from the mind of Watson. From his solution I'm going to say that there's a little bit of Watson in most of us.
Mini spoiler alert... there's a musical number. I slumped in my seat a bit when it started. Don't panic though, it was actually quite good. I feel like they might be able to get a music video out of it somewhere.
What you should do
My gut reaction is that this sort of film is a bit Marmite. If you enjoy their sort of humour then you'll enjoy it, if not then you'll probably get a handful of laughs out of it like I did. It's definitely a streamer, get some friends over, order some pizza and pour some drinks. In that scenario I think most people would find it amusing.
Movie thing you wish you could take home
I would honestly love the picture that Millie draws for Holmes.
Prompts - Beat Writers Block
Productivity and Education
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Writing with Prompts is like writing with an inspirational coach sitting beside you. The app learns...
Eduardo Sanchez recommended Blade Runner (1982) in Movies (curated)
LoganCrews (2861 KP) rated Brawl In Cell Block 99 (2017) in Movies
Sep 20, 2020
Cold, hard filmmaking at some of its most insatiably cruel. My coveted "I told you so" moment for anyone who said Vince Vaughn couldn't act and one hell of a provocation in the process (Zahler might be the closest thing we have right now to a grindhouse Neil LaBute). The film equivalent of a rusted pair of brass knuckles of dubious origin with dried blood on them. Realistically could have skimmed 10 or so minutes off of itself but I think the gruelingly elongated scenes aid in the merciless hellscape this paints, and the fights don't waste a single second - Vaughn (who is God-tier in this, plays the role like one giant piece of battered meat) eats barbell swings, nightsticks, debilitating electric zaps, and brute punches like a champ. And that gore? I verbally screamed out loud multiple times, here I'd thought I'd seen it all but to quote Mark Wahlberg's dad from 𝘛𝘦𝘥 (which I routinely do) "Jesus H Fuck!" A trillion times better than 𝘉𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘛𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘩𝘢𝘸𝘬 and even that was wildly good in its own right. One thing I love about the guy is how successfully he subverts the "feel-horrible filmmaking for the sake of feel-horrible filmmaking" junk that has seen a bit of a resurgence lately. When he's bleak, he fucking means it. Guaranteed this will scare you away from even the most petty crime, you'll flinch in fear if you even think about littering. Plus it's funny as fuck. Unique and unflinchingly nasty - almost exactly what you'd want out of a movie with this title.
Leanne Crabtree (480 KP) rated Clan of the Jersey Boys (Fangsters #1) in Books
Sep 6, 2019
DNF
I hate DNFs. I always feel bad for not finishing them but sometimes I just cant get into a story. I stopped at 38%.
Right. Well, I expected this to be betterthat sounds bad I knowbut I was expecting them to be these tough vampires who kicked arse while running an illegal empire. In a way it was, but it didnt seem bad-arse enough for me. Sure there were a few scenes with retribution/warnings handed out to people but I didnt feel it.
Another thing that got me was all the mention of family and its many members. Yeah I know families are important in Italian/Sicilian cultures but more people kept getting mentioned and I found myself getting confused. What with Anton and someone else being turned by one person and his dad and uncle turned by someone else and this guy turned by the brother of that guy making them cousins I got lost. It was a little too much for me to keep up with.
The relationship between Anton and Leo happened a little too fast for me to believe. Not the sexhes an attractive guy after allbut the love yous and how strong their feelings were after the one night they spent together. Or maybe I just missed something?
Its not a bad story, it was just a little different to what I normally read; the mobster/gangster bit anyway. If you like vampires, mobsters and m/m stories then you will probably like this.
I hate DNFs. I always feel bad for not finishing them but sometimes I just cant get into a story. I stopped at 38%.
Right. Well, I expected this to be betterthat sounds bad I knowbut I was expecting them to be these tough vampires who kicked arse while running an illegal empire. In a way it was, but it didnt seem bad-arse enough for me. Sure there were a few scenes with retribution/warnings handed out to people but I didnt feel it.
Another thing that got me was all the mention of family and its many members. Yeah I know families are important in Italian/Sicilian cultures but more people kept getting mentioned and I found myself getting confused. What with Anton and someone else being turned by one person and his dad and uncle turned by someone else and this guy turned by the brother of that guy making them cousins I got lost. It was a little too much for me to keep up with.
The relationship between Anton and Leo happened a little too fast for me to believe. Not the sexhes an attractive guy after allbut the love yous and how strong their feelings were after the one night they spent together. Or maybe I just missed something?
Its not a bad story, it was just a little different to what I normally read; the mobster/gangster bit anyway. If you like vampires, mobsters and m/m stories then you will probably like this.
Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated Fame (2009) in Movies
Aug 9, 2019
I love musicals so whenever the big guys at the studios decide to remake a classic like “Fame”(1982), I get, well, nervous. How could there be a remake of a film that is so well associated with the 1980s without mocking current audience’s film going standards? Would a new “Fame” be possible without the time period that created it in the first place?
“Fame” follows the year-by-year story of a group of kids who apply to and later attend the New York Academy of Performing Arts. The story follows their growth as performers and as people in the never forgiving streets of New York City. The film has the expected music, dancing, and moral tales about the harsh realities of people in search of that ever-elusive “Fame”.
Littered in guest stars ranging from “Frasier’s” Kelsey Grammer to “Will and Grace’s” Megan Mullally, “Fame” seemed less like the remake of a musical and more like a star studded Ellen show.
Still, there are some exceptional performances from less seasoned stars like Anna Maria Perez de Tagle who plays young aspiring actress Joy and Natuari Naughton as Denise a classical pianist who dreams of singing.
While the film is good, it lacks the heart of a truly engrossing musical. The acting is decent and the choreography is excellent but this modernized version of “Fame” complete with Barenaked Ladies song jokes is no “Chicago”. Moreover, the new version of “Fame” varies significantly from the classic, with hip-hop tracks and a rhythm heavy version of the classic theme song. For many the biggest downside to this musical is sure to be the less than engrossing musical numbers.
Like a darker “High School Musical” for a slightly older audience, “Fame” is a decent film worth a watch, but it will not have you singing a medley in your living room.
“Fame” follows the year-by-year story of a group of kids who apply to and later attend the New York Academy of Performing Arts. The story follows their growth as performers and as people in the never forgiving streets of New York City. The film has the expected music, dancing, and moral tales about the harsh realities of people in search of that ever-elusive “Fame”.
Littered in guest stars ranging from “Frasier’s” Kelsey Grammer to “Will and Grace’s” Megan Mullally, “Fame” seemed less like the remake of a musical and more like a star studded Ellen show.
Still, there are some exceptional performances from less seasoned stars like Anna Maria Perez de Tagle who plays young aspiring actress Joy and Natuari Naughton as Denise a classical pianist who dreams of singing.
While the film is good, it lacks the heart of a truly engrossing musical. The acting is decent and the choreography is excellent but this modernized version of “Fame” complete with Barenaked Ladies song jokes is no “Chicago”. Moreover, the new version of “Fame” varies significantly from the classic, with hip-hop tracks and a rhythm heavy version of the classic theme song. For many the biggest downside to this musical is sure to be the less than engrossing musical numbers.
Like a darker “High School Musical” for a slightly older audience, “Fame” is a decent film worth a watch, but it will not have you singing a medley in your living room.